The so-called "Big Five" consists of the foreign ministers of the five largest EU member states: Germany, France, Poland, Spain, and Italy.
The talks in Germany, held as a follow-up to the diplomatic summit that took place on November 19 in Warsaw, also included representatives from non-EU countries - the United Kingdom and Ukraine - as well as the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas.
“The Big Five format has proven effective, and we’ve scheduled further meetings in Paris, Madrid, and possibly even Kyiv,” Minister Sikorski confirmed in a statement to the media.
During a press conference, Poland's Foreign Minister also announced the upcoming opening of a new building for the Polish Embassy in Berlin, scheduled for early next year, around January 20, 2025.
The minister also addressed the future of the former Russian consulate in Poznań, located in western Poland.
“This depends on the Ukrainian side. If Ukraine requests my approval for establishing a consulate in Poznań, such approval will be granted. As for the specifics - location, office conditions, and staffing levels - those decisions are up to Ukraine and subject to negotiations between Ukraine and the city of Poznań,” the Polish top diplomat noted.
While in Berlin, Radosław Sikorski also met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Sybiha.
Diplomats also discussed the situation in Syria, emphasizing in a joint declaration signed at the Berlin summit that, following the fall of the Assad regime, it is crucial to preserve Syria's territorial integrity, respect its independence and sovereignty, uphold state institutions, and reject extremism in all its forms.
(L-R) Britain's Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories Stephen Doughty, European High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, Spain's Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Manuel Albares and France's Director for Continental Europe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Frederic Mondoloni, take a walk in the garden during a European Foreign Minister's meeting at Villa Borsig in Berlin, Germany, 12 December 2024 (photo: CLEMENS BILAN/PAP/EPA)
Source: PAP/MSZ/X/@MSZ_RP/@PolandMFA
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