Belarus Election Rejected, Solidarity w/ Greece In East Med, Eye On Mali

Full conclusions of European Council videoconference: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2020/08/19/conclusions-by-the-president-of-the-european-council-following-the-video-conference-of-the-members-of-the-european-council-on-19-august-2020/

• As noted earlier, leaders of the EU's member states stated that "9 August elections were neither free nor fair, therefore we do not recognise the results."
• Agreed to impose sanctions on individuals in the Lukashenko regime.
• On Turkey: "The situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and the relations with Turkey were raised by some Member States. We are increasingly concerned about the growing tensions and stressed the urgent need to de-escalate."
• Following the coup d'etat in Mali that has seen the ouster of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta the EU stated: "The events in Mali are of deep concern and can have a destabilising impact on the entire region and on the fight against terrorism".
• The Sahel region in which Mali sits remains a significant geopolitical and security concern for the EU, given both its position as a staging ground for Islamist terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Magrheb (AQIM), and the potential for instability in the region to result in greater migrant flows from north Africa across the Mediterranean to EU members.