Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on the sidelines of her participation in the European Political Group summit in Yerevan, Armenia. "This is the eighth European Conference. We will primarily discuss the topic of an independent Europe. We must reduce our excessive dependence on external sources in three specific areas.

First, energy. We are overly reliant on imported fossil fuels and are therefore constantly at the mercy of global market fluctuations. We must strengthen our domestic resources in Europe, particularly renewable and nuclear energy, as they are homegrown, less expensive, and more reliable.
Second, we need greater independence in defense and security. We must develop our military capabilities to defend and protect ourselves. We have substantial financial resources available for investment, and we must now accelerate the pace of developing military capabilities.
Third, reliable supply chains. To achieve this, we are engaging with like-minded countries. We have free trade agreements; we recently concluded one with Latin America, as well as agreements with India and Australia, and I will be visiting Mexico soon. With like-minded allies, you will have stable and reliable supply chains. Europe has the largest network of free trade agreements," according to a statement distributed in Brussels containing remarks by the European official.

For her part, Kaya Klass, coordinator EU Foreign and Security Policy: I am delighted to be here in Yerevan. We are holding the European Political Community (EPC) meeting, and Europe is not just a geographical location, but also a set of values ​​and principles. Therefore, we are very pleased to welcome Canada today to discuss these issues.

Of course, the summit being held here in Yerevan demonstrates the importance of the Caucasus region, particularly in light of the ongoing conflict in Iran. We are talking about connectivity, and also about resilience in the face of the threats we face.

European media reports covered the start of the EPC summit in Yerevan, with the participation of 47 countries and Canada's first-ever presence.

According to the Cyprus News Agency, a press release from the Cypriot Presidency stated that President Christodoulides will play a coordinating role in the EPC's plenary debate on European security, with the participation of the leaders of Britain, France, and Italy, and the President of the European Commission.

This is the first time Cyprus has held a special role in a plenary session of the EPC summit. It was noted that, in addition to the opening address, President Christodoulides will deliver the closing remarks.

The press release added that defense issues Security is a key priority for Cyprus’s EU Presidency, with measures being taken to strengthen the EU’s deterrence capabilities.

The President will also participate in a substantive discussion on European integration and economic security, as well as in separate multilateral meetings on Moldova and on combating drugs in Europe.

On the sidelines of the summit, President Christodoulides will hold bilateral meetings with heads of state and government, as well as with heads of international organizations.

The European Political Community (EPC) is an intergovernmental forum for political and strategic discussions on the future of Europe, established in 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The EPC first met in October 2022 in Prague, with the participation of 44 European countries, as well as the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission. It is separate from both the European Union (which is a participant) and the Council of Europe (represented by its Secretary General). The 47 EPC member states have a combined population of 689.5 million, representing 8.7 percent of the world’s population and approximately 23.5 percent of global GDP.