Thank you so much.
Dear leaders,
It’s important that this broad format works.
And I thank Armenia and Prime Minister Pashinyan for the hospitality, good organization. And, of course, of course – I have to start from this, this is very important – we wish Armenia and Azerbaijan only peace, of course, sustainable, comprehensive, long-lasting peace. We wish you, Prime Minister, we wish President Aliyev, and we wish both your nations.
And so many countries are represented here today – it matters that Armenia stands here with all Europeans. And for the first time in 24 years, by the way, a visit by the President of Ukraine. This means a lot. And it shows the scale of our unity – all those who value life.
And I agree with António absolutely – I’m glad Mark Carney is with us. And it’s time to turn our shared values with Canada into more joint opportunities for Canada and Europe.
Dear friends,
The challenges are clear. Absolutely. First. We all see it – the war in Iran remains unresolved. And it could cause instability for a long time. And it may raise the cost of living in all our countries this year. And this could lead to major political shifts.
So first of all, our energy and security cooperation needs to be real cooperation. And we need to help each other prepare for winter and deal with energy challenges. And we should also push for a long-term solution for the Strait of Hormuz and for the people of Iran.
Second. Russia’s war against Ukraine and Europe continues just as hard as before.
And this summer will be a moment when Putin decides what to do next: expand the war or move to diplomacy. And we must push him toward diplomacy. Russia has announced a May 9 parade in Moscow without military equipment. If that happens, it will be the first time in many, many years. They cannot afford military equipment – and they fear drones may buzz over Red Square. This is telling. It shows they are not strong now. So we must keep the pressure, by sanctions, on them. And I thank you for the 20th sanctions package – I’m thankful to all the leaders, to the EU, António, Ursula, thanks very much – and especially those sanctions against Russian oil, the military industry, and Russian banks. We must continue this pressure. We must move Russia to diplomacy. Please oppose any ideas to ease sanctions – this is important. And thank you also to those who are fighting against Russia’s shadow oil fleet.
Third. As long as this war continues – strong support for Ukraine must continue. Every support package matters, especially air defense. Every contribution to the PURL program matters. And we need new PURL packages this year, this May. This helps us defend against ballistic threats.
And I believe Europe should be able to produce everything it needs to defend against everything – all the ballistic attacks and all other weapons – on its own. We offer a contribution to Europe’s defense – our Drone Deals. They bring countries together. And we need strong protection across Europe – from drones and all attacks, potential attacks, in the air, at sea, and on land. Drone Deals mean joint work, joint production, shared protection. Let’s move forward on this.
And one more thing. We need to focus on what we will do if Russia does not end this war. We need continued pressure – and we need peace. And of course, it’s number one: we need to find a workable diplomatic format. And Europe must be at the table in any talks. And we are in contact with the United States – and we understand their views and positions. But it would be good to develop one common European voice for talks with Russians.
Thank you.
