Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The summit of the leaders of the European Union countries will begin today in Brussels, which will discuss the Ukraine files, developments in the situation in the Middle East, and the file of expansion with the accession of new countries to the unified European bloc, in addition to the file of the multi-annual financial framework 2021-2027, as well as the files of security, defense, and foreign relations, according to the official agenda of the summit’s work, which... Issued by the federal institutions in Brussels
  In his message to the leaders of member states attending the summit, European Union Council President Charles Michel said, “February 24, 2022 was a turning point in the history of Europe. Since the outbreak of war on our continent, we have taken a number of unprecedented decisions to support Ukraine and to strengthen Europe’s sovereignty in parallel.” Nineteen months on, we are once again faced with the need to make bold decisions. They require our collective strength, determination, and the audacity to make the right choices.
We need to fulfill our commitments on Ukraine and continue to be a strong and reliable partner. We must provide Ukraine with ongoing and sustainable political, financial and military support and, in particular, reach an agreement on €50 billion for its long-term stability. We must also agree to open accession negotiations with Ukraine, thus giving it the necessary signal and bringing it closer to our European family.
We need to make important decisions for other aspiring members, while in parallel working to make our union fit for the future and ready to welcome new members.
New challenges bring new obligations. The review process of the Multiannual Financial Framework has been intensive and relentless. I have taken careful note of all your interests and priorities and have made a proposal that seeks to reconcile the different positions around the table. As with any compromise, I implore you to be prepared to build a compromise for the sake of unity. Achieving consensus will indeed require a decisive joint effort and strong political commitment from all of you.
On security and defence, we will continue to implement our ambition of building a stronger geopolitical union, giving guidance on key areas of action and building on the Versailles Declaration and Strategic Compass. We must make more efforts to achieve the Union's goals of rapidly increasing defense preparedness. We must also work to create an internal defense market, which is crucial to strengthening our union in this area.
Developments in the Middle East will also be a prominent item on our agenda. We must call for the release of all hostages and strongly address the alarming humanitarian situation in Gaza. We must be strong in supporting Israel's right to exist and defend itself against Hamas, as well as in unequivocally defending international law and international humanitarian law. Our broader thinking will include working to achieve security and stability in the region and the prospects for lasting peace based on the two-state solution.
We must also address all forms of hatred, anti-Semitism, intolerance, racism and xenophobia, including anti-Muslim hatred.
A pivotal European Council awaits us. Now is the time to make a decision. I invite you all to come armed with a spirit of compromise, a sense of collective responsibility, and with the interests and values of the Union at the forefront of your minds.