More than 45 European leaders will converge on Oxfordshire next
week to discuss some of the most pressing generational issues
facing Europe.
The Prime Minister will welcome leaders from across the continent
to Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, for the
European Political Community (EPC) meeting on Thursday [18 July].
Today's threats are generationally challenging, and the Prime
Minister is clear that the United Kingdom is always stronger when
working in close collaboration with others. The UK government
will use the summit to discuss closer collaboration to tackle
illegal immigration and greater security cooperation with
European counterparts to keep Britain safe.
For the first time at a meeting of the EPC, NATO, the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the
Council of Europe will be in attendance, demonstrating the
importance of unity in response to the arc of conflict and
instability inside and near Europe's borders that affects the UK
and the continent's interests equally.
The PM wants to rebuild relationships with key European partners
so ahead of the summit, the Prime Minister will host the Irish
Taoiseach, Simon Harris, for his first official inward visit
since becoming Prime Minister. The Prime Minister will also hold
a bilateral dinner with the French President in Blenheim Palace
after the summit.
Prime Minister said:
“Europe is at the forefront of some of the greatest challenges of
our time.
“Russia's barbaric war continues to reverberate across our
continent, while vile smuggling gangs traffic innocent people on
perilous journeys that too often end in tragedy.
“We cannot be spectators in this chapter of history. We must do
more and go further, not just for the courageous Ukrainians on
the frontlines, or those being trafficked from
country-to-country, but so our future generations look back with
pride at what our continent achieved together.
“I said I would change the way the UK engages with our European
partners, working collaboratively to drive forward progress on
these generational challenges, and that work starts at the
European Political Community meeting on Thursday.”
The EPC meeting comes at a vital time Ukraine, as Russian
aggression intensifies over the summer. The Prime Minister has
been clear that the UK's support for Ukraine is ironclad, and he
will use the meeting as a platform to push for continued
international military and financial support for Ukraine, ahead
of what is expected to be a difficult winter.
There will be an opening plenary, followed by three roundtables
on migration, energy and connectivity, and defending and securing
democracy, before ending with a closing plenary.
Sustainability is at the heart of summit planning, with 80% of
the fruits and vegetables being served to delegates coming from
Blenheim's gardens. Showcasing the best of British at Blenheim,
attendees of the summit will enjoy Oxfordshire strawberries and
cream, alongside more than 800 scones being served during
afternoon tea.
Blenheim Palace, which was used by MI5 from 1940 to 1945 after
their headquarters was damaged in the Blitz during the Second
World War, has been transformed to accommodate more than 450
delegates.
This is the fourth EPC meeting since the grouping was founded in
October 2022. Previous meetings, hosted in the Czech Republic,
Moldova, and Spain, have been instrumental in uniting Europe to
support Ukraine, forging cooperation on energy security and
tackling the shared challenge of illegal migration.
