President Sánchez stresses that the Moldova Summit is a display of unity against Putin's war

Mimi Castle, Bulboaca (Republic of Moldova)

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has attended the second summit of the European Political Community, which brought together the 47 European leaders in the Moldovan capital in a forum that promotes informal intra-European dialogue and places all countries on an equal footing when it comes to tackling the major debates that are currently on the European political agenda.

President Sánchez stressed that the holding of this summit in Moldova is a further demonstration of the commitment of our entire continent to Moldova and to its government. "Moldova is at the core of the European family," he said. He also praised the country's ongoing efforts to become a member of the EU.

This meeting, the president emphasised, allowed the European Political Community to send a strong message of unity vis-à-vis Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine. "Our democratic freedoms, the principles and values that underpin the EU and the rules-based international order are threatened by Russia's war of aggression," he said, underlining that this challenge must be tackled together. "The European Political Community promotes what we Europeans value most: dialogue and cooperation". Pedro Sánchez has also conveyed to the President of Moldova Spain's commitment to host the third summit of the European Political Community on 5 October in Granada.

The leaders meeting today in Chisinau focused their discussions on a number of important issues on the European political agenda.

Family photo of the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, together with the leaders participating in the Summit of the European Political Community | Pool CCPE

The first, connectivity. Pedro Sánchez highlighted the importance of promoting all the existing initiatives in this area that already bring European citizens closer together, such as the boost to youth mobility. In this context, the president recalled that Erasmus+ is a success story that we must continue to promote, and that in 2022, nearly 900 exchanges were carried out between Spain and countries in the Eastern Neighbourhood.

The summit also served to address energy and infrastructure, and to share views on projects that currently embody the best examples of cooperation. The President of the Government had the opportunity to stress that energy interconnections contribute to developing the European electricity market, securing supply and encouraging the deployment of renewables. In this context, he highlighted the achievement in this area represented by the H2MED hydrogen corridor, which Spain, Portugal and France will develop jointly.

With regard to transport infrastructures, Pedro Sánchez conveyed to the other leaders the importance of committing to efficient transport networks, a fundamental element to support economic growth, favour access to greater economic opportunities and improve the resilience of global supply chains. To this effect, the president highlighted the value of the proposals that currently seek to extend the Mediterranean corridor from Spain to Ukraine, and the recent projects to adapt the railway infrastructure in Eastern Europe.

In a complex international context, the leaders were also able to focus their discussion on security, with particular emphasis on hybrid threats and nuclear security in Ukraine. President Zelenski's presence at the summit allowed the other leaders to reiterate their support for the Ukrainian people in the face of unjust and unjustified aggression, and to underline in unison the need to work towards building a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

Bilateral meetings with the leaders of Ukraine, Switzerland, the UK and the Netherlands

Greeting between the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski

In the margins of the summit, President Sánchez held a bilateral meeting with the President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski. Pedro Sánchez took an interest in the current situation in the country, expressing Spain's unanimous condemnation of this aggression and our country's support for the Ukrainian people.

Pedro Sánchez also had the opportunity to meet with the UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, and the President of the Swiss Confederation, Alain Berset. With his British counterpart, the President of the Government underlined the solidity of bilateral relations and conveyed his willingness to continue to support fluidity and dialogue between Spain and the UK. During the bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, President Sánchez expressed his country's views on the main issues that will mark the agenda during the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU.

The meeting between the President of the Government of Spain and the President of the Swiss Confederation also proved very useful in emphasising the good bilateral relations the two countries maintain in economic, political and social matters. Pedro Sánchez and Alain Berset agreed on the importance of continuing to strengthen economic ties.

Non official translation