The ancient city of Granada will host for two days two ranking European meeting to discuss strategies concerning the union and re-affirm steady support for Ukraine.
Granada will witnesses the holding of the third meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) with participation of 47 heads of state and governments on Thursday, amid uncertain reports whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will partake in it.
The next day (Friday), will witness an unofficial meeting of the Council of the European Union, grouping the heads of state and governments of the EU 27 member countries. The session will be held against backdrop of the EU foreign ministers’ recent meeting in Kyiv where they affirmed support for the nation after the US Congress failed to make a new financial pledge for the country.
Agenda of the first meeting will tackle digitization, artificial intelligence, energy and environmental affairs, geopolitical challenges and the war in Ukraine.
The leaders after the meeting will head to Alhambra Palace where King Felipe VI will host them for a collective picture with the monarch before touring the landmark historic fortress.
Agenda of the European Council will address expansion of the EU, war in the Ukraine and immigration. In this respect, the European leaders will examine a blueprint on how to make Europe more resilient in the face of crises and future challenges, attaining Europe’s strategic independence, bolstering economic competiveness and lessening dependence on China with respect of cross-border trade and businesses.
Expanding the EU will warrant deep brain storming among the stakeholders, namely prospected aid for some would-be members to be qualified for joining the bloc.
The EPC had been established in line with a proposal by French President Emmanuel Macron that had been made amid the escalating conflict with Russia due to its war on Ukraine, seeking closer pan-European political coordination vis a vis common security and economic challenges.
The group met for the first time in Prague in October last year. The meeting involved representatives of the EU 27 member states in addition to 17 non-EU countries, namely Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Lichtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the UK — excluding Russia and the Belarus.
Venue of this meeting was chosen at a location 21 kms from the Ukraine borders and 250 kms from Russia, with the apparent intention to manifest challenges facing the “old continent” namely the war on Ukraine and other pressing issues.
The second meeting was held in Moldova’s capital in early June, where the participants manifested a united European front in the face of the Russian war on Ukraine, affirmed Europe’ support for the afflicted nation’s aspirations, in addition to looking into a series of other files such as the Azeri-Armenian strife, energy matters, security and mounting geopolitical jitters in the Balkans.
A number of countries in the EPC such as Ukraine aspire to join the EU with full membership. In June 2022, Ukraine, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia and Bosnia were granted the capacity of nominated members in the union.
The group is a consultancy platform for addressing issues such as dealing with nations that have withdrawn from the union namely the UK, tackling issues of common concern, bolstering regional security, boosting pan-Europe dialogue and tackling unresolved issues at the European level.
Source: Kuwait News Agency
