Meeting of the European Political Community at the birthplace of Winston Churchill
A meeting of 47 countries participating in the European Political Community is hosted today by the newly elected UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of wartime UK leader Winston Churchill.
Why is this relevant
For non-member states of the EU, the EPC provides a platform for a Europe-wide cooperation that is crucial at a time when the continent’s security order has been challenged by the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Context
This is the fourth meeting of the European Political Community, a format launched by French President Macron as another way for Europe to structure itself outside of the EU. The forum is designed to offer a platform for political dialogue and cooperation including countries aspiring to EU accession and other European countries outside the bloc. It acts as a forum for strategic discussions, similar to the G7 or the G20.
While security and the war in Ukraine dominate the agenda, other issues of strategic importance are debated, although no formal communiqués are released.
Migration is one of such joint challenges. In his opening speech today, PM Starmer said that ‘’this summit is an opportunity to set a new path on illegal migration, to transform the way that we work together on border security and law enforcement and to say together ‘no more’’’. A roundtable discussion on migration will be led by Italy and Albania.
The Albanian Prime Minister strongly supports the EPC while stressing that it should not supplant the well-structured process of EU accession for candidate countries. As the Community was being launched in 2022, Rama co-published an op-ed with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, expressing support for the initiative, as ‘a place where all European countries can discuss and devise solutions for issues including war, energy, and food security’.
The meeting of the EPC in the UK includes also roundtables on energy cooperation (led by the EU and Montenegro), and on defending and securing democracy (led by France and Moldova).
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