Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
  The informal European summit began in Granada, Spain, this morning, about which European Union President Charles Michel said: “This gathering is of great importance: not only will we engage in a constructive dialogue on the most pressing issues that our Union currently faces, such as migration, but this meeting represents the beginning of a process.” Important reflection on our Union's future priorities. Starting in Granada, our discussions will allow us to collectively chart the Union's course, defining its direction and goals for the coming years. The outcome of our reflection process in the next few months will shape the Strategic Agenda for the period 2024-2029. In which Michel addressed the leaders to invite them to attend the summit, he added, “When Russia launched its aggressive war on Ukraine more than 18 months ago, we addressed the starkly changed reality in our meeting in Versailles. Beyond agreeing to provide unwavering support to Ukraine, we have established a new strategic course of action to build our sovereignty, committing to jointly enhancing our defense capabilities, reducing our energy dependence, and building a stronger economic base.
The President of the European Union stressed that Granada is the right time to look back and critically evaluate the progress made in strengthening our European sovereignty, and to identify our achievements as well as the areas that still require our political action. It is also the time to look to the future, identify the future challenges we must face, and define our strategy to seize all the opportunities that lie ahead to ensure the EU's resilience and competitiveness in this changing geopolitical environment.
Beyond the strategic agenda, an inherent part of this discussion concerns the future of an enlarged EU and the consequences that enlargement might have – both for us and for our aspiring members. It is crucial that we reflect on the future dynamics of our Union, our policies and our decision-making process, among other things, to ensure the continued success of the European Union. In particular, we will address critical questions, such as: What do we do together? How do we decide? How do we reconcile our capabilities and ambitions?

The international and European media paid attention to the summit and said, “Fifty leaders from the European continent are meeting in the Spanish city of Granada to try to send a “message of unity” during the third European summit of the European Political Group, which is being held with the aim of reducing regional tensions, and the migration crisis that the continent is suffering from will be discussed. European, and also the war in Ukraine.
The Spanish newspaper "El Mundo" indicated that this is the third European summit of the European Political Group, and the head of diplomacy in the European Union, Josep Borrell, expressed his regret upon his arrival in the Andalusian city, saying: "It is unfortunate," in reference to the migration crisis and the continuation of the war in Ukraine.
"We will not be able to talk here about something as serious as the fact that more than 100,000 people had to leave their homes in a hurry, fleeing military action," Borrell said.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who is in Grenada, will hold a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Schulz, and European Council President Charles Michel, on the sidelines of the summit.
The Ukraine war is also on the agenda, as European powers seek to reaffirm their support for Kiev while the political crisis in Washington raises questions about continued US support.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, arrived in Granada yesterday, Thursday, and announced that his priority at the summit is: “strengthening Ukrainian air defense” before the onset of winter, which is the section in which he hopes to reach agreements.
“The first challenge that we all face is to protect the unity of Europe, and I am not just talking about the European Union countries but about the whole of Europe,” Zelensky told the media, before highlighting “the importance of a defensive shield for Ukraine.”
Zelensky has already met with the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, and the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni.
The aim of this assessment, drawn up by Macron, is to bring together a greater number of countries, and not just those of the European Union: in addition to the 27 member states of the bloc, 20 other countries have been invited to attend this third summit.