Dozens of leaders from across Europe are meeting on Monday for a diplomatic high mass in Armenia, with the guest Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, a valuable ally in the face of the world disorder fueled by Donald Trump.
Among the personalities present in the capital Yerevan, for this 8th summit of the European Political Community (EPC), the French President, Emmanuel Macron, the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as the highest officials of the EU, Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa.
The German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, however apologized, while the participation of the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has not been confirmed.
Forced to make an emergency landing in Ankara on Sunday evening due to a "technical unforeseen event", Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will resume his trip to Armenia on Monday to participate in the summit.
Created in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the CPE brings together almost all European countries, whether or not they are members of the EU or NATO, with the exception of Russia and Belarus.
With varied subjects on the menu (from support for Ukraine to the fight against drug trafficking), and numerous bilateral meetings.
"In a period of deep geopolitical disorder, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the return of Donald Trump, Europeans felt the need to get together, without Americans and without Russians, on a continental scale, from Iceland to Azerbaijan", decrypts Sébastien Maillard, special advisor at the Jacques Delors Institute.
Coincidentally, these discussions are being held in a country neighboring Iran, giving echo to the serious concerns of Europeans, who are suffering strong repercussions from the conflict in the Middle East.
The CPE summit "is an opportunity to demonstrate Europe's support for Ukraine in its resistance to Russian aggression, but it has taken on an additional dimension because of the crisis in the Middle East, which will be on everyone's minds," a European official explained to journalists, speaking on condition of anonymity.
And the presence of Mark Carney, the first non-European leader invited by the CPE, gives it additional relief.
- Reconciliation with Canada -
“The CPE was first perceived as an anti-Putin club when it was launched after the invasion of Ukraine. With the invitation launched to Canada, this format initially guided by geography also takes on an anti-Trump appearance,” believes Sébastien Maillard.
The Canadian Prime Minister championed the alliance of "middle powers" against the "hegemonic powers" which dominate the world, such as the United States and China.
Shaken like Europe by Donald Trump's diplomatic and commercial offensives, Canada has in recent months moved closer to its
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