European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking to journalists upon arrival at the summit, said that Armenia’s connectivity plays an important role in Europe’s supply chains.
She outlined key topics for discussion at the 8th European Political Community summit in Yerevan, including Europe’s independence, particularly energy independence, defense and security, and reliable supply chains, Armenpress reports.
Von der Leyen noted that Europe remains highly dependent on imported fossil fuels and stressed the importance of renewable and nuclear energy to reduce this dependence.
“We must expand Europe’s energy production capacity. This includes renewable sources and nuclear energy, which allow us to produce energy domestically. They are cheaper and more reliable,” she said.
The European Commission president also emphasized the importance of defense and security.
“We must strengthen our military capabilities so that we can defend ourselves,” she said, adding that investment opportunities exist and that accelerating military production is now necessary.
As a third priority, von der Leyen highlighted reliable supply chains, stressing cooperation with countries that have free trade agreements. She specifically mentioned Latin America, India, and Australia.
In this context, she also emphasized Armenia’s role, noting that it plays an important part in connecting South Caucasus and Central Asia, contributing to Europe’s broader supply chain resilience.
On May 4, Yerevan hosted the 8th summit of the European Political Community, to be followed on May 5 by the first Armenia–European Union summit. Around 50 high-level delegations arrived in Armenia, including European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. French President Emmanuel Macron also arrived in Yerevan, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Armenia for the first time.
