Foreign Secretary (): On Thursday 7 November, the
Prime Minister attended the European Political Community summit
in Budapest, Hungary. Four months after the UK hosted the EPC at
Blenheim Palace, 48 leaders from across the continent gathered to
discuss our shared challenges, and how better to work together to
respond to them, with a focus on European security and support to
Ukraine; tackling organised immigration crime; and bolstering
European economic security and connectivity. The Minister of
State for the Cabinet Office accompanied the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister called for increased international
co-operation in tackling the gangs who profit from organised
immigration crime, and highlighted £75m of recently announced
additional funding for the UK's Border Security Command. He
chaired the leaders' roundtable discussion on migration, attended
by Croatia, Denmark, Greece, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland,
Romania, Slovakia and the President of the European Council. To
advance our collaboration with key European partners in the fight
against organised immigration crime, the Prime Minister agreed
new bilateral initiatives with Serbia, Kosovo and North
Macedonia, which will further intelligence sharing and
operational cooperation.
In a meeting with President Zelenskyy, the Prime Minister
reiterated our unwavering support for Ukraine – highlighting the
UK's new package of 56 sanctions targeting Russia's
military-industrial complex and Russian-backed mercenary groups.
The sanctions directly target the supply of Russian military
equipment crucial to carrying out Putin's illegal war in Ukraine.
The Prime Minister condemned in the strongest possible terms the
DPRK's direct support for Russia's war of aggression against
Ukraine, emphasising this was proof of Putin's growing
desperation.
Attending the second leader-level meeting of European Friends of
Moldova, chaired by re-elected Moldovan President Sandu, the
Prime Minister underlined the UK's continued support to Moldova
in the face of significant disruption from Russia during their
recent elections. Leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland,
Romania and the Presidents of the EU Commission and European
Council also attended.
The Prime Minister also met a range of European leaders,
including those from Albania, Denmark, the Czech Republic,
Finland, Ireland, Kosovo, Norway, Poland, Portugal and Serbia, as
well as EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. With Polish
Prime Minister Tusk, he discussed the mutual desire to step up
cooperation on defence, and agreed to work more closely to tackle
organised immigration crime. With Czech Prime Minister Fiala, he
welcomed the recently announced investment by Czech company CEZ
into Rolls Royce SMR, which will boost our shared nuclear power
ambition and support British industry. With President von der
Leyen, he discussed the UK/EU partnership and the need to work
together to tackle shared challenges.
The EPC will next meet in Albania in the first half of 2025.
