Invitation letter by President Charles Michel to the members of the European Council

 

Press material Monday 20 June 2022   ● European Council   20/06/2022 19:09 | Press release | Invitation letter by President Charles Michel to the members of the European Council ahead of their meeting on 23 and 24 June 2022   Dear colleagues, With war back in Europe, we have taken unprecedented action, projecting the EU's geopolitical clout. We now need to take further steps to strengthen our continent’s security and stability. This will be the main focus of our European Council meeting on 23-24 June. Now is the time to acknowledge that the future of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia lies within the EU. I will invite you to grant candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova. In parallel, we will continue to provide Ukraine with strong humanitarian, military, economic and financial support. The Western Balkans are important to the EU, and the EU is important to the Western Balkans. We must therefore re-energise the enlargement process and advance the integration of our Western Balkan partners. We will meet them before our formal European Council. Peace, security and prosperity in a rules-based international order are values the EU shares with other European partners. The idea of a European political community has been presented to foster political dialogue and cooperation. We will engage in a strategic discussion on how to reinforce our relations to address issues of common interest. The consequences of the war are being felt far beyond our region. Russia is weaponising food supplies, stealing grain, blocking ports and turning Ukrainian farmlands into battlefields. This affects many countries, especially in Africa, risking famine and political and social instability. Building on our efforts to help Ukraine export its grain, we will discuss further measures to tackle these issues. The Conference on the Future of Europe has involved European citizens and made proposals aiming at improving the functioning of our Union. Proper follow-up will be needed. The current situation requires an in-depth discussion during our Euro Summit, in the presence of the President of the European Central Bank and the President of the Eurogroup. We will also have to determine how we want to move forward on the Banking Union and Capital Markets Union. We will meet on Thursday 23 June at 9:30 with the Leaders of the Western Balkans. We will then continue with our European Council meeting, which will start at 15:00 with our traditional exchange of views with the President of the European Parliament. I look forward to seeing you in Brussels. Video message of President Charles Michel Invitation letter from President Charles Michel