In this interview excerpt, Jean Mischo, Legation Counsellor then Deputy Director in the Political Affairs Directorate of the Luxembourg Foreign Ministry from 1976 to 1979, discusses the circumstances surrounding his appointment to this post. He also describes the main issues that he worked on during this period in connection with the development of European Political Cooperation (EPC), particularly the European Community’s changing policy on the Palestinian conflict and the role that the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) should play. Jean Mischo emphasises the importance of the Venice Declaration of June 1980 in which the Nine called for the acknowledgment of the Palestinians’ right to self-determination and for the PLO to be involved in peace negotiations with Israel.

In this interview excerpt, Jean Mischo, Legation Counsellor then Deputy Director in the Political Affairs Directorate of the Luxembourg Foreign Ministry from 1976 to 1979, describes the workings of the European Political Cooperation (EPC) pursued by the Member States of the European Community, under which they adopted common positions, sometimes associated with economic sanctions or incentives, on the various foreign policy issues. He emphasises the role played by the Political Committee, composed of the political directors of the national foreign ministries, which met each month. Finally, he welcomes the development of the European Union’s foreign, security and defence policy, while mentioning the differences that emerged over the military intervention in Iraq in 2003.