EU foreign policy chief welcomes Beijing distancing itself from envoy’s ‘unacceptable’ remarks

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday welcomed China backtracking on the “unacceptable” remarks of its ambassador to France on post-Soviet states.

Speaking at a news conference after a meeting of EU top diplomats, Josep Borrell called “good news” a recent announcement by China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson that contradicted its ambassador to France.

In an interview over the weekend, Lu Shaye questioned whether post-Soviet states should be recognized as sovereign countries.

Borrell said that EU foreign ministers found it important “to see that Beijing distances (itself) from the unacceptable remarks of its ambassador to Paris.”

He stressed that unrelated to this incident, the EU must redefine its approach to China.

EU foreign ministers already started work so EU leaders could adopt a new strategy at their summit this June, he added.

- Evacuations from Sudan

Over 1,200 EU nationals will have been evacuated from conflict-torn Sudan by Monday midnight, Borrell said.

He praised the “incredible mobilization” of EU countries that deployed 11 evacuation flights on Sunday and will have sent another 20 planes by the end of the day.

He confirmed that 21 staff members of the EU delegation to Sudan were evacuated, while only one high-ranking envoy remained in the country.

Borrell also called on the parties to stop the fight for sake the people of Sudan, “who are dying in the conflict.”

Over 400 people have been killed and more than 3,500 injured since the conflict erupted on April 15.