The Council of the European Union's Working Party on Eastern Europe and Central Asia is scheduled to meet on 29 June 2026 at 14:00 in the Justus Lipsius building in Brussels to discuss Belarus (two agenda items), Azerbaijan, and any other business, according to a notice of meeting and provisional agenda published on 25 June 2026.
The meeting, convened by the Council's Eastern Europe and Central Asia working group (COEST), will address Belarus under two separate agenda items, followed by a discussion on Azerbaijan. A slot for any other business (AOB) is also included. The notice does not specify the substance of the discussions, but the working party typically prepares Council decisions and coordinates EU policy towards the region.
No prior coverage of this specific meeting exists in the available record. The meeting comes amid ongoing EU engagement with both countries: the EU has maintained sanctions on Belarus since the 2020 presidential election and subsequent crackdown, while relations with Azerbaijan have been shaped by energy cooperation and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The working party's deliberations may feed into upcoming Foreign Affairs Council conclusions or decisions on restrictive measures.
Stakeholders impacted include EU member states' foreign ministries, which coordinate positions through the working party; the European External Action Service, which provides policy input; and the governments of Belarus and Azerbaijan, whose relations with the EU may be affected by any recommendations. The meeting is procedural and does not produce binding outcomes, but its discussions can influence subsequent Council decisions.