LOC22:57
19:57 GMT
BRUSSELS, Feb 11 (KUNA) -- An informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers will
take place in Dublin on Tuesday and Wednesday, chaired by Irish Defence
Minister Alan Shatter whose country holds the current EU Presidency.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and a senior UN peacekeeping
official will attend the meeting. Discussions are expected to focus on Mali,
the Horn of Africa and partnership with the UN, noted an EU Irish Presidency
statement.
Ministers will be briefed by the Mission Commander of EU Training Mission
Mali and will be invited to discuss the developing situation in Mali and the
region, the deployment of the mission and the EU support to African-led
International Support Mission in Mali.
Against the background of an evolving situation in Somalia and the wider
region, Ministers will be briefed by the Commanders of anti-piracy Operation
Atalanta and EU Training Mission Somalia, and have an exchange of views.
Ministers will also discuss a paper prepared by the European External
Action Service (EEAS) and the European Defence Agency (EDA) on the EU Common
Security Defence Policy in particular on strengthening defence capabilities.
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