Geostrategic Europe

The ninth summit of the European Political Community brought together leaders from across the continent in Dublin, Ireland under the general theme 'Europe -strong, secure and connected'. Speaking at a press conference after the end of the summit the president of the European Council, Antonio Costa, summed up the discussions. He said: The search for a just lasting peace in Ukraine was the central theme of today’s discussions. Here is why it is important to recall Europe’s priorities in the ongoing negotiations. They are clear and they remain unchanged: first, reaching a ceasefire second, reestablishing navigation in the Black Sea third, creating the conditions for a peace agreement The fact is that, so far, there has been limited concrete progress in that direction. Because, so far, Russia continues to be focussed on escalating the war. It has yet to demonstrate that it prioritises peace over dominance. But, as the pace of diplomacy accelerates, it is important to recall that a lasting peace needs to be a just peace. And a just peace, a peace that allows for security in Europe to be restored, needs to be anchored in clear principles. First of all, Ukraine is a sovereign nation like any other nation in Europe. It must remain free to choose its alliances and its partnerships. Europe has consigned empires and zones of influence to the dustbin of history. And we will never allow for them to come to life again. Secondly, the future of European security cannot be discussed and decided without Europe. That is why the European Union, together with NATO and several European nations is playing its role in the ongoing diplomatic efforts. We are engaging as a team – side by side with our Ukrainian partners. The third principle concerns European security architecture. It is important to recall that Europe has an established European security architecture. Unfortunately, in the last decades Russia decided to undermine it by force. Culminating in the invasion of Ukraine. We are determined to continue to uphold on the same fundamental principles that have been guiding the foreign policies of peaceful European nations for decades: the sovereign equality between European nations refraining from the threat or use of force the inviolability of borders the territorial integrity of States the peaceful settlement of disputes These principles of international law will continue to guide the European Union in any negotiations about peace in Ukraine and security in Europe. The ninth summit of the European Political Community brought together leaders from across the continent in Dublin, Ireland under the general theme 'Europe -strong, secure and connected'. The summit was co-chaired by António Costa, the President of the European Council, and Micheál Martin, Taoiseach of Ireland. More than 40 heads of state and government took part in this ninth meeting of the European Political Community. The Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, also participated in the European Political Community summit, for the second time, as a guest. The European Political Community aims to: foster political dialogue and cooperation to address issues of common interest strengthen the security, stability and prosperity of the European continent The next meetings of the European Political Community will take place in Switzerland and Greece.

For the European Union the importance of the region is uncontested. It has been so for a very long time, but now the broader geopolitical challenges in the wider neighbourhood are highlighting that importance. We are ever more committed to continuing deep cooperation in bilateral ties, but also specifically regionally. As for the conflict resolution processes, in the Armenia–Azerbaijan context they are bilaterally driven, but there is a lot of space for supporting initiatives in very practical ways, and this is indeed what we're trying to do". This was stated by the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus, Ambassador Magdalena Grono at the start of the 3rd South Caucasus Regional Dialogue Forum, on Friday,6 November 2026. (Click image to read her intervention in full) Around sixty participants, including Ambassadors, officials, experts and civil society activists from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, and from the international community, participated in the 3rd South Caucasus Dialogue Forum, held in hybrid form in Yerevan, and on line, on Friday, 6 November 2026. The keynote speaker was the Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia, Lasha Darsalia.