World leaders gather in Armenia for 8th European Political Community summit

World leaders from nearly 50 countries gathered in Yerevan, Armenia, on Monday (4 May) for the 8th European Political Community (EPC) summit.

The summit, co-chaired by European Council President António Costa and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, includes all 27 European Union member states alongside regional partners. Attendees include UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Speaking on arrival, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said leaders would “discuss mainly the topic of an independent Europe”, adding that Europe must reduce “overdependencies” in three key areas: energy, defence and security, and supply chains.

Von der Leyen said Europe remained overly dependent on imported fossil fuels, called for increased military production and capabilities, and highlighted the importance of “stable reliable supply chains” through trade agreements with “like-minded countries”.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attended as the first non-European guest invited to the EPC forum.

ℹ️ Euronews, EC AV Portal