The need to avoid a dangerous regional escalation of the conflict in the Middle East is underlined by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, in his letter of invitation to the 27 leaders of the member states ahead of the October 26 and 27 Summit.

He further points out that the resumption of the peace process based on the two-state solution is the only way forward, while noting that “we will have to face the effects of this conflict in the European Union – this includes considering its consequences for the cohesion of our societies, the security us and them migratory movements».

Charles Michel states that developments in the Middle East “require our immediate attention, without distracting us from our continued support for Ukraine. Our responsibility is to remain united and coherent and to act according to our values ​​as enshrined in the Treaties.” In addition, he emphasizes that “the situation in the Middle East is a tragedy.”

“We expressed our common position in our statement of October 15. At our meeting I expect that we will once again condemn in the strongest terms Hamas’ brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks against Israel and recognize Israel’s right to defend itself, in accordance with international law and international humanitarian law. We will also repeat our call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages”, the President of the European Council points out.

He adds that the worsening humanitarian situation in Gauze remains a serious concern. “We need to discuss how to urgently ensure the effective delivery of humanitarian aid and access to the most basic needs,” he notes.

Mr. Michel states that “in relation to Ukraine, we will continue our undivided support for as long as it takes. Among the various aspects of our assistance, I would like us to consider specific ways to accelerate the delivery of military support, advance our plans to use Russia’s frozen resources, and intensify our diplomatic outreach to secure broader international support for comprehensive, just and lasting peace”.

At the same time, as he underlines, in the discussions of the Synod there will be an opportunity to give guidance on the review of the multi-year fiscal frameworkwith the aim of quickly reaching an agreement.

“Following the principle that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, we must take a critical look at our most urgent needs, identify our priorities and decide how to finance them,” he stresses.

The debate on the economy and competitiveness will also continue and the steps taken since the last debate in Granada in relation to immigration will be assessed. The agenda includes the situation in the Sahel, Pristina-Belgrade relations and the South Caucasus.

At the Euro Summit on 27 October, “we will be brought together by the Presidents of the European Central Bank and the Eurogroup to discuss the economic and financial situation and the continued close coordination and governance of our macroeconomic policies. We will also look at the progress made in the Capital Markets Union and the Banking Union, as well as the work that has started on a digital euro,” concludes Charles Michel.