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European Union Council session on Iraq to be held in Brussels

A diplomatic source said that the present ministerial meeting is assembled in view of the "disastrous situation in Iraq"

© EPA/ANJA NIEDRINGHAUS

BRUSSELS, August 15, /ITAR-TASS/. A special session of the European Union (EU) Council at the level of the Foreign ministers of the 28 member-countries of the EU is to be held here on Friday. It is the first time since the beginning of this year that such a meeting is convened to discuss a subject other than the crisis in Ukraine: this time the situation in Iraq will be the main subject of discussion.

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A diplomatic source said here that the present ministerial meeting is assembled in view of the "disastrous situation in Iraq from both the humanitarian point of view and in view of the advance of detachments of radical Islamists in fighting against the government army and Kurdish self-defence forces in the country's north".

The source said EU countries are lacking a unified position on the subject of deliveries of arms and collateral equipment to the Iraqi Kurds. "There is no unity among the EU ranks. France, Italy, and Spain come out in favour of supplying weapons while Germany, Austria, and Sweden oppose the move," the source said.

The crisis in Ukraine will be touched upon at the meeting but the ministers "will only "exchange estimates of th situation". No document on Ukraine has been prepared for this meeting.

The EU Foreign ministers will exchange opinions about the impact of the EU's economic sanctions with regard to Russia and Russia's reply measures on the situation in the national economies of European countries.

The EU Foreign ministers are to mull possibilities for aid to countries in West Africa hit by Ebola disease. The Ministers are to touch upon the situation in Gaza Strip, Syria, and Libya as well.

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