The absence of Erdogan and Aliyev, in the absence of confirmation from Zelensky, blurs the unity sought in Granada

In the family photo at the Alhambra there will be more than 40 leaders from the EU and other European countries

GRANADA, 4 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The confirmed absence of the presidents of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, with the unknown until the last moment of the presence of the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, has blurred to a certain extent the sign of unity that from the Alhambra , in Granada, they wanted to send to the world the more than 40 leaders of the countries that make up the European Political Community (EPC).

The one in Granada will be the third meeting, after the first in October 2022 in Prague and the last in June in Chisinau (Moldova) of this intergovernmental forum, created at the proposal of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and which brings together the 27 countries that They make up the EU and almost twenty other European countries.

Although at first the presence of almost 50 heads of State and Government was expected, in the last few hours the Turkish and Azeri authorities have confirmed to Europa Press that their presidents will not finally attend the Andalusian city.

The reason given by Ankara is Erdogan's busy schedule, who has a party event on Saturday, while behind Aliyev's absence would be, according to the state agency APA, his discomfort that the Turkish president's presence had not been accepted. in the meeting that was scheduled with the Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinián.

This meeting was, in fact, one of the main milestones of the summit, given the recent Azeri offensive on Nagorno Karabakh and which has led the authorities of this region of Armenian majority and Azeri sovereignty to renounce their self-proclaimed independence, with the consequent exodus to Armenia of more than 100,000 people.

Turkey did not appear 'a priori' in the meeting format that had been contemplated for the meeting with Armenia, in which the European Union was represented, through the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, France and Germany. Erdogan is one of Aliyev's main international supporters, who did not welcome Aliyev's not being at the table.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen will also not be at the start of the Granada summit, who has to appear before Parliament although she will arrive at the dinner, while the attendance of Zelensky, who did travel to Moldova in June, will be a doubt. until the last moment. Moncloa and the Ukrainian Government have avoided confirming her presence for security reasons.

If Zelensky's presence is confirmed, it would be his first visit to Spain since the beginning of the conflict. The Ukrainian president would agree with some of his main international partners and with others who have begun to show cracks, such as the Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki, who has ruled out committing more weapons to Ukraine in the midst of a political battle over grain exports.

All in all, more than 40 leaders will travel to Granada and will be immortalized in a family photo at some emblematic point of the Alhambra, where they will be received in the late afternoon by the Kings and whose Nasrid Palaces they will have the opportunity to visit before dinner. , the work of chef Paco Morales.

The image will be a powerful sign of unity of the entire continent against Vladimir Putin's Russia at a time when support for Kiev seems to be cracking both in some European capitals and on the other side of the Atlantic, before the debate in the US Congress. on the future of financial aid to Ukraine.

In any case, the fact that so many leaders are able to gather around the same table, including some who maintain open conflicts and disputes between themselves, such as Serbia and Kosovo, among others, is already "a success in itself," they highlight. European sources.

"That is precisely the reason for being" of the CPE, the French Presidency states, highlighting that the leaders can meet even if there are several conflicts between them as a "backdrop." To facilitate these contacts, precisely part of the day has been reserved so that the leaders can hold bilateral meetings.

Spanish government sources also highlight the opportunity to hold meetings, downplaying the fact that the president of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, will be present, given that Spain, like four other EU countries - Romania, Slovakia, Cyprus and Greece-- do not recognize their independence.

To solve this issue, the sources have explained, it has been decided, as in previous events of this type, that there be no presence of national flags and to identify the leaders present only by their name, without specifying whether they are heads of state or heads of state. Government of a specific country. Likewise, sources have announced that Sánchez will greet Osmani with complete normality like the rest of the attendees.

Pristina and Belgrade have exchanged all kinds of accusations in the last two weeks, mainly due to an attack perpetrated by Kosovo Serbs in the north of Kosovo and the possible involvement or connivance of Serbian forces or authorities. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has accused Belgrade of trying to lay the groundwork for a military takeover of the Serb-majority northern part.

The EU, through the High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, has also made mediation efforts in this context, although no initiative has been advanced with a view to this Thursday's meeting. Borrell, however, has Vucic and Kurti as his main interlocutors, who will not be the one to lead the Kosovo delegation.

What is ultimately sought, Elysée sources emphasize, is to be able to talk about Europe "beyond the existing institutional and traditional frameworks" and for European leaders to be able to maintain "a direct dialogue on an equal footing and without filters," hence the desire not to institutionalize the CPE for the moment.

The plenary session will start around noon with an intervention by the acting President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, as well as the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, who have been invited to Quote. Borrell and the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, will also be there.

After this, a series of sectoral meetings will take place around three major topics and in which the leaders will be distributed. Specifically, there will be one on digitalization and in which the issue of Artificial Intelligence will be addressed; another on energy, environment and ecological transition; and a third, which will be divided into two groups and in which Sánchez will participate, focused on multilateralism and geostrategy.

No declaration or conclusions will emerge from the summit, beyond the date and place of the next meeting, which will be hosted by the United Kingdom, since it has been decided to alternate between EU countries and the rest. However, Sánchez is scheduled to appear before the press precisely alongside the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and the Moldovan President, Maia Sandu, to make known in general terms what was discussed.

The CPE meeting will be a prelude to the informal meeting of EU leaders, now alone, on Friday. One of the key topics of the meeting will be precisely the expansion. All candidate countries to join the bloc will attend the Granada summit on Thursday, where it is expected that they will take the opportunity to vindicate their aspirations to the Twenty-seven.