During a panel session of the European Political Community held in Yerevan, regional leaders reached an agreement to reduce strategic dependencies, strengthen defense, and build more resilient partnerships amid interconnected security, energy, and migration crises.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the session was moderated by Nikos Christodoulides, the President of Cyprus and current chair of the European Union (EU). The high-level meeting included European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted three critical vulnerabilities: energy, defense, and supply chains. "If we have learned anything, it is how vulnerable we are in the face of excessive dependencies," she stated. Von der Leyen called for an accelerated transition to "domestic energy" sources, including renewables and nuclear power, deeper electrification of the economy, and the expansion of trade agreements to ensure resilient supply chains.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the current situation as a series of "polycrises" where individual problems reinforce one another. Meloni emphasized migration as a central issue affecting security, the economy, and institutional trust, urging the EU to move from reactive measures to strategic prevention by working more closely with migrants' countries of origin.
French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the concept of "strategic autonomy," noting its application to technology and industry. "It is impossible to have sustainable autonomy in defense while being 100% dependent on semiconductors," he remarked. Macron stressed the need for "de-risking" through the diversification and localization of key supply chains, warning of dependency risks on global powers while positioning Europe as a "predictable partner."
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer focused on the practical and strategic aspects of security, noting that Europe must strengthen its role in defense and increase its contributions to NATO. The leaders emphasized that regional stability is contingent upon collective action and the reduction of external dependencies.
The European Political Community (EPC) was established in 2022 as an intergovernmental forum for political and strategic discussions about the future of Europe. For Azerbaijan, such international platforms serve as a vital space for discussing regional security and the normalization of relations in the South Caucasus, aligning with the country's commitment to long-term peace and the principles of territorial integrity. The participation of various heads of state in these sessions underscores the growing importance of cross-regional cooperation in addressing global energy and security shifts.
