Ukraine (bbabo.net), - The EU summit, due to be held in Brussels on December 15, is planned to be held as a one-day meeting and focus on strategic issues, President of the European Council Charles Michel said in his letter of invitation to the heads of state and government of the EU countries.
“Ukraine, as always, is in the center of our attention. The situation, aggravated by the appearance of snow and sub-zero temperatures, requires us to respond accordingly, including in terms of humanitarian readiness and assistance,” Michel wrote in an invitation letter published on Monday evening on the website of the European Council.
He noted that, in addition to Ukraine's urgent needs, "a substantive discussion is also needed on how to guarantee the sustainability of our military and financial support."
The head of the European Council pointed out that this year has "drastically changed the energy landscape" of the EU and has shown more clearly than ever that the countries of the union "need to act together."
“Our priority remains to ensure the reliability of supply and reduce prices for citizens and businesses. Against this backdrop, we will review the progress made since October and provide further guidance,” Michel continued.
He also stressed the importance of discussing the tasks for the coming year.
“One of the most important milestones in 2023 will be the electricity market reform that the (European) Commission will propose as soon as possible. However, our coordination efforts must be combined with concrete projects and targeted investments in innovation, infrastructure and energy efficiency in order to gradually reduce our dependence on Russian fossil fuels,” explained the President of the European Council.
Michel also announced "a strategic discussion of the transatlantic relationship, especially in light of the changing global context."
"The discussion will cover a wide range of issues, in particular our security and economic cooperation," he said.
“As for security and defense, we will sum up the results after Versailles (the EU summit on March 10-11, 2022 under the French presidency of the EU Council) and, if necessary, give additional recommendations,” said the head of the European Council.
In addition, the agenda of the meeting will include "a strategic discussion of the southern neighborhood (the European Union) and the results of the recent summit with the Western Balkans in Tirana." According to Michel, this will provide an opportunity to consider "multifaceted aspects of cooperation with these countries, including migration."
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