Informal Meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers (Gymnich) Held in Sofia

The foreign ministers of the European Union meet in Sofia at an informal Gymnich meeting on 15th and 16^th of February. Such forum is organized once every six months under each Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The name Gyinich comes from Gymnich Castle, in the North Rhine-Westphalia region, where the first such meeting took place in 1974 under the German Presidency.

The topics on the first day of the talks in Sofia include Syria, the Western Balkans and North Korea. The ministers and deputy ministers of the member states and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini will participate in the meeting. A number of bilateral ministerial meetings will also take place within the forum. The second day of the talks will also include ministers of the candidate countries - Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Montenegro.