Leaders from across Europe came to Granada, Spain, to participate in the third meeting of the European Political Community. This is a meeting format that allows the countries of the continent, whether they are members of the European Union or not, discussing challenges such as security, energy, climate, EU enlargement and migration. With the bloc’s leaders pledging to maintain their support for Ukraine, Pres Volodymyr Zelensky Meanwhile, he called on the continent to unite politically.

“The main challenge we face is saving unity in Europe,” Zelensky told the press. “And I’m not just talking about European Union countries, but about all of Europe. I think the biggest challenge we face is Russia, which will attack with disinformation, fakes and so on.”

The Grenada Summit also focused on providing an important impetus for European Union enlargement. Ukraine and Moldova want to start accession negotiations this yearand six candidate countries in the Western Balkans also demanded a clear timetable.

“Enlargement is always good for Europe,” the Irish Prime Minister explained to Euronews. Leo Varadkar. “This helps provide more security, helps strengthen democracy and human rights. And also help the European economy to grow and develop. So I think it’s also important that when we look at the problem, we don’t just look at it. as a financial calculation”.

The Nagorno Karabakh Problem

Initially, the leaders planned to facilitate talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Grenada, but Azerbaijan refused to attend the summit from Baku they said they were willing to negotiate with Yerevan. Türkiye, a key player in the region, was also absent. President of the European Council, Charles Michelreminded the European Union of its interest in the stability of the Caucasus region, and demanded guarantees from Baku that the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh would not escalate.

“I had a telephone conversation with the President of Azerbaijan two days ago,” said Michel in Granada. “And they made it very clear that they have no territorial claims in Armenia. I think it is important to state this clearly, to ensure that there is mutual recognition of territorial integrity.”

In short, the Summit seems to have exposed the shortcomings of the European Political Community. Two major absences mentioned —Ilham Aliyev And Recep Tayyip Erdoğan— halted a long-awaited meeting with the leaders of France, Germany and the Council of Europe, which was expected to be a first step towards stability in the Caucasus.

Another disappointment of the summit, especially for journalists, was the departure of the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, at the end of the plenary session, forcing organizers to cancel the final press conference. For many, the Granada summit demonstrated not only the lack of unity, but also the desire for dialogue, that exists currently on the continent.