Press release
Taoiseach discussing European security challenges at European Political Community and informal European Council in Granada
From Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will be in Granada, Spain today (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday) for discussions on European security, migration, and European priorities for the years ahead.
He is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with the UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, the Swiss President, Alain Berset, the Prime Minister of Latvia, Evika Siliņa, and the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Dimitar Kovačevski.
The Taoiseach is attending meetings of the European Political Community and an informal meeting of the European Council, taking place in Spain as part of the Spanish Presidency of the EU.
The European Political Community meeting on Thursday – the third meeting since this forum was founded - brings together 47 heads of State and Government from across the continent, from inside and outside the European Union.
On Friday, Granada will host the informal European Council meeting to prepare the EU’s next strategic agenda, mapping out priorities for the European Union for the next five years. The discussions will focus on security and defence, cybersecurity, the EU single market, preparing for crises, migration, and EU enlargement.
The Taoiseach will also participate in a roundtable discussion on multilateralism and security, and attend a working dinner hosted by the Spanish Presidency of the EU.
Speaking ahead of the meetings, the Taoiseach said:
“Leaders from across the continent come together at meetings of the European Political Community to discuss the growing number of challenges confronting Europe and the world, including Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. This will be an important opportunity to meet Leaders from the Western Balkans and the Caucasus, areas which are coping daily with live issues such as the situation in Kosovo, or the tragic developments in Nagorno-Karabakh. I welcome the opportunity to hear from those directly involved.
“The Informal meeting of the European Council on Friday is a chance for EU Leaders to think in a more open way about the challenges ahead. The coming years will bring great changes for the EU. We live in an era of increasing geopolitical tension and rapid technological progress. Many countries wish to join the EU, including Ukraine and the countries of the Western Balkans. As Leaders, we must ensure they are ready, and that the EU is ready to receive them. I look forward to discussing these important issues with colleagues from across the European Union.”