The leaders of the 27 EU member states gathered in Granada, Spain, on Friday for an informal summit to discuss two of the most pressing issues facing the bloc: migration and enlargement.
The summit, hosted by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, aimed to find common ground and solutions on how to deal with the migration situation in Europe, which has been worsened by the events in Afghanistan and Belarus.
The EU leaders condemned the use of migrants by Belarus as a form of hybrid warfare and called for a coordinated response from the EU and its partners. They also reaffirmed their commitment to solidarity and responsibility-sharing among EU countries and to supporting third countries that host large numbers of refugees and migrants.
They also addressed the issue of EU enlargement, which is seen as a strategic and geopolitical priority for the bloc. They expressed their support for the European perspective of the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership countries, especially Ukraine, which faces a military threat from Russia.
They agreed on the need to accelerate the accession process for the countries that meet the criteria and to strengthen the political dialogue and cooperation with them. They also stressed the importance of upholding the rule of law, democracy and human rights as fundamental values of the EU.
The summit was preceded by a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) on Wednesday, where nearly 50 European leaders discussed other topics of common interest, such as security, climate change, energy and digital connectivity.