Prime Minister Fiala Attended the European Political Community Summit in Tirana
Prime Minister Petr Fiala attended on Friday, 16 May, a meeting of the European Political Community in the Albanian capital of Tirana, subtitled “New Europe in a New World”. Leaders of more than 40 countries discussed European security, strengthening competitiveness, illegal migration, energy, and Russian aggression against Ukraine. On the margins of the summit, the Prime Minister also held talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and a number of other leaders.
The EPC summit was held for the first time in the Western Balkans, which demonstrates the importance of the region and its role in shaping the future of the continent. This was the sixth informal meeting; the first was held in Prague on 6 October 2022. An important topic of discussion at the summit was direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. “There is a majority consensus that Russia needs to be confronted. The negotiations in Istanbul between Russia and Ukraine are indeed a step in the right direction, but Putin’s regime has not yet shown sufficient will to end the aggressive war, so it is necessary to strengthen our support for Ukraine and intensify sanctions pressure,” stated the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister participated in a round-table discussion on strengthening European competitiveness and economic security. “We agreed that only an economically strong and prosperous Europe is capable of effectively ensuring its security. We must therefore address such issues as disadvantageous energy prices, strengthen the EU internal market, and strive to extend its advantages in an appropriate manner to other countries. Active trade policy and building strong trade partnerships are also key. We must not build new barriers, but on the contrary strive to remove barriers in Europe,” added the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala met with a number of leaders on the margins of the summit – with German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Turkish President Recep Erdoğan, and French President Emmanuel Macron. He also held discussions with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas. The Prime Minister conferred with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte regarding the agenda of the forthcoming North Atlantic Alliance summit. Prime Minister Fiala also held bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, with whom he discussed strengthening bilateral relations, trade cooperation and the continuation of the peace process.
The next planned meeting of the European Political Community, which serves as a platform for open political dialogue and concrete cooperation, will take place in Denmark in autumn of this year.
