FRANCE 24 secured an exclusive interview with Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, at the Paris Peace Forum. At this year's edition, there was fretting about violence that undermines the international order, but also a renewed call for global cooperation. Kallas, who has been in the job for about a year after being prime minister of Estonia, tells us that her "big goal is to make Europe a geopolitical power; that we would matter on the world stage."

Kallas expresses worry about the state of the global order. "I think international law is under heavy fire, if we look at what is happening in the world," she says. "We have the United Nations Charter that says that you can't attack another country, you can't attack the sovereignty or territorial integrity of another country. But yet here we are. We have many conflicts, many wars around the world. And international law is something that is really protecting the smaller countries, so that their big neighbours don’t make a step towards them.  And the majority of the world's countries are small countries. So if you think this doesn't concern you right now, then it's just a matter of time. So we really need to preserve this world order where might does not make right."

Is she worried about the US retreat from its traditional global role under the Trump presidency, particularly when it comes to development aid? "If we look at the bigger picture, it is clear that United States has withdrawn its help, and all the countries in the world are behind our doors asking us to fill the void," Kallas replies. "It's clear that our taxpayers can't do that. We have many places where we are the biggest humanitarian aid donor. But there are a lot of rich countries around the world who should also shoulder the burden. So, clearly, we are trying to do our share, but we can't fill the void that America is leaving behind."

There was also much focus on Africa at the Paris Peace Forum. Kallas has denounced the brutality of the paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, and the ethnic cleansing of civilians there.

"The situation in Sudan is unbearable and it doesn't have the attention in the media that other conflicts have," Kallas states. "What we are trying to do is to call on those parties with the weapons, the warring parties, to stop, because the human suffering is just so enormous. We are the biggest provider of humanitarian aid, but everybody should understand that for stability, for prosperity, for investments, you need peace."

On a different conflict, Gaza, the EU has been notoriously split politically. But Kallas focuses on what the bloc is doing to stabilise the situation going forward.

"The ceasefire was very much waited for, as was the release of hostages, but it was clear that it was the first phase," Kallas avers. "A sustainable peace requires international backing and that's why we are, of course, thinking about what we can do on our side. We have two missions working on the ground, the EUPOL COPPS (to support Palestinian police and the rule of law) and EUBAM Rafah (a border assistance mission on the Gaza-Egypt frontier). We're thinking about what more can we do to also contribute to the International Stabilisation Force."

Kallas is a staunch supporter of international trade deals such as Mercosur, between the EU and Latin American countries.

"If we look at the economy of Europe, then our companies definitely need markets," she says. "And Mercosur would bring the biggest free trading area of 700 million people. And I know the worries that are there in France. That's why the EU Commission has put forward new safeguards for those worries, which are very important for the farmers." For Kallas, Mercosur has a clear geopolitical imperative, because "there are other powers outside Europe that really want us to be at each other's throats, to be clashing. If we are fighting each other, we are actually weaker towards our adversaries."

Asked about Ukraine and EU defence, Kallas addresses concerns among EU member states that the EU Commission might be overstepping its powers in terms of defence projects.

"Actually the leadership on this is with the member states," she maintains. "The only thing that the European Union tries to do is to coordinate and put member states together, because some projects are too large for any single member state, but we can do them together." A firm supporter of Ukraine, Kallas highlights the added value that the country has for EU defence industries. "I recently visited Ukraine and the drone factories there," she says. "The innovation they are doing is very impressive, and also how fast they are able to produce drone interceptors. They have a very clear view of how it operates because they have it already in place. So we don't have to invent the wheel. We can do this and learn from their lessons."

Programme prepared by Oihana Almandoz, Isabelle Romero and Agnès Le Cossec.