Russia's three-month-old invasion of Ukraine, the European Union's relations with Egypt, and the Horn of Africa, were set to be at the centre of an EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Monday attended by Italy's foreign minister Luigi Di Maio.
At the EU foreign affairs council meeting, Di Maio and his colleagues will cover the main flashpoints on the international agenda, according to a foreign ministry statement.
The EU foreign ministers will discuss "Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, with a special focus on the EU’s Action Plan on the consequences of the conflict and on food security," said the statement.
The ministers "will then exchange opinions on EU-Egypt bilateral relations and on the Horn of Africa and will attend an informal lunch with Egyptian foreign minister (Sameh) Shoukry," the statement went on.
Di Maio is due to hold "several bilateral meetings" on the sidelines of Monday's foreign affairs council, according to the statement.
Together with Finnish counterpart Pekka Haavisto, Di Maio will co-host a first informal working lunch with International Committee of the Red Cross president Peter Maurer to look at its key role in responding to humanitarian emergencies, starting with the crisis in Ukraine.
The Red Cross is one of Italy's overseas aid department's main partners, the statement noted.
