(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Secretary of State John Kerry held a meeting Wednesday with EU High Representative Frederica Mogherini to discuss the crisis in Ukraine and a range of other issues.
Later in the day, Kerry held a separate meeting with the Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to discuss counterterrorism efforts.
In remarks made after his meeting with Bishop, Kerry noted that the two reviewed the situation in Ukraine where they are continuing to press Russia to abide by the Minsk agreement, "which is critical to our ability to be able to restore the full sovereignty and the stability necessary for a transformation," asserted Kerry.
He stressed that the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) reported yesterday that at least 30 Grad rockets from the separatist controlled town of Horlivka hit Debaltseve and killed three civilians and wounded 12. Additionally, there has been about a 500-square-mile extension to the separatist's line of control.
The Secretary noted there was a range of issues, "in the course of our conversations - particularly Libya we talked about, and we will continue to have that discussion." He continued, "There was the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership; the Israel-Palestinian dispute; stabilizing Libya and finding ways to put support behind Bernardino Leon's initiatives; the future of Bosnia, which the high representative has been very involved in personally in the last weeks." For her part, Mogherini commented on the Ukraine situation and said, "I take the opportunity again here to stress the fact that not only we [the EU and US] developed our sanctions policy together, but we're going to follow up our sanctions policy together in a coordinated way." In response to the threats of terrorism around the globe, she highlighted, "That it is not a fight between the West and Islam; this is a fight against terrorism that unites us all, Europeans, Americans, Arabs, Africans, Asians, everywhere." Only a few hours later Kerry held remarks with Bishop after their talks on furthering cooperation in the fight against ISIL.
He said, "I'm very grateful to Australia for their significant work in Iraq. They one of the most prominent and important members of the effort to deal with Daesh." Minister Bishop responded with, "Australia has decided that it is very much in our national interest for us to be working with the Iraqi Government in Iraq, in cooperation with the United States, to see if we can defeat ISIL in Iraq where it's claiming territory, where it's brutalizing citizens." She then paid tribute to the US for "taking the lead" on the Ebola crisis in "what could have become a global issue.
The leaders noted that they both look forward to the Australia- United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) meeting when the Secretaries of State and Defense meet with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense from Australia.
Finally, Vice President Joe Biden also met with Bishop at the White House in which he reiterated the US' thanks for Australia's contributions to counter ISIL and help strengthen security forces.
Biden and the Foreign Minister also agreed on "the strategic and economic value of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the importance of continuing to work together to conclude TPP negotiations as quickly as possible," according to a statement from the White House.
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