Speech by President António Costa at the official opening of the Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union

I would like to thank you, dear Donald (Tusk), for the invitation to speak here today. It is a great honour for me to be in Warsaw at the launch of the Polish Presidency. Our shared vision for Europe has been based on the same values, the same principles, the same strategic purpose: to strengthen … Leer más

EU-Japan strategic partnership: framework agreement enters into force

Today, the first-ever bilateral framework agreement between the EU and its member states and Japan, the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA), enters into force. This milestone agreement will guide future engagement between the parties and ensure closer political and economic cooperation on an array of bilateral, regional and multilateral issues. Thanks to the SPA, the EU … Leer más

Remarks by President António Costa at the press conference following the European Council meeting of 19 December 2024

The first ever meeting of the European Council took place almost exactly fifty years ago. For the last five decades, we have built a culture of unity in diversity, a culture of compromise, and a culture of solidarity. Cette culture de solidarité était très présente aujourd’hui : tous les membres du Conseil européen ont exprimé … Leer más

Remarks by President António Costa at the press conference of the EU-Western Balkans summit in Brussels

The timing of today’s summit could not have been better. It was the first meeting I chaired as President of the European Council. This highlights the political priority that enhancing cooperation with the Western Balkans has for me and for the European Union. We are sending a strong signal with the Brussels Declaration that we … Leer más

Reform and Growth Facility for Moldova: Council agrees its negotiating position

The Council today agreed its negotiating position on the Reform and Growth Facility for the Republic of Moldova. The proposed facility is the financial pillar of the Moldova Growth Plan, presented by the Commission in October 2024. It will support Moldova during the period from 2025 to 2027 and is expected to provide up to … Leer más