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10:21Thank you.
10:24Our Maria Tadeo there
10:25speaking exclusively to Antonio Costa
10:28as that Western Balkan Summit
10:29gets underway today in Tivat Montenegro
10:32and we can actually bring in Maria Tadeo now
10:34as those leaders are gathering.
10:36Maria, tell us what is happening.
10:39Good morning, Maeve.
10:41And of course, technical difficulties
10:42because you see ultimately this helicopter
10:44that is hovering around this town
10:46repeatedly now for almost two days.
10:48There's a lot of jamming
10:49because ultimately you have more than 35 leaders
10:52if you combine the EU institutions
10:53and the Western Balkans
10:55gathering here on an important day with Montenegro
10:57because, as I say, multiple diplomats
10:59from this country insisting,
11:01talking to you and you're saying,
11:02this will be 28 by 28,
11:0428 member states by 2028.
11:07And you saw from that interview
11:09with the head of the European Council,
11:10Antonio Costa, telling us
11:12this is a merit-based process.
11:13It will always be,
11:15but some of those rules need to be simplified.
11:17Picking up on that point,
11:19the French and the Germans
11:20now laying out the scene
11:21for a discussion today here
11:23in which they will, quote,
11:24quote, call for a more structured,
11:27gradual integration of these candidates
11:29to motivate them to reform.
11:31The more they do,
11:32the more progress they make,
11:33the more benefits diplomats say
11:35they will be able to tap,
11:37including, by the way,
11:38access to the single market.
11:39And that is key
11:40because the single market
11:41is the moneymaker
11:43for the European Union.
11:44Just very briefly,
11:46for our viewers,
11:47the leaders confirmed to participate.
11:49The Serbian president,
11:50there was a lot of speculation
11:51as to whether or not
11:52Aleksandar Vucic would join the summit.
11:55We are told he is here.
11:56He landed yesterday.
11:58The leader, who will not be,
11:59and there was also speculation about him,
12:00is the new Hungarian prime minister,
12:02Peter Magyar.
12:03We're not expecting him
12:04to participate at the summit,
12:06but of course,
12:06he's one of the big protagonists
12:08with that breakthrough
12:09over with Ukraine, Maeve.
12:11Okay, Maria Steyo,
12:12thank you so much
12:13for that live broadcast there.
12:14And of course,
12:14for more of Maria's reporting
12:16there on the ground,
12:17you can visit Euronews.com
12:18or keep an eye on Euronews TV
12:19for her various interviews
12:20throughout the day.
12:22But now we can actually zoom
12:23into more about
12:24why the Western Balkans
12:25are so strategically important
12:27for Brussels.
12:27Our reporter, Jakub Janus,
12:29has this report.
12:33Top EU chiefs are gathering
12:35in Tivat, Montenegro
12:36for the EU Western Balkans Summit.
12:38And Albania, Serbia, Montenegro,
12:41Bosnia and Herzegovina,
12:42North Macedonia and Kosovo
12:44are at various stages
12:46of trying to join the bloc.
12:47And that's cool,
12:48but your reporter is curious.
12:50With the EU already struggling
12:51to manage 27 member states,
12:53what's the point of Brussels
12:55pushing for enlargement right now?
12:58Let's see the map
12:59because geographically
13:01the region is completely
13:02surrounded by the EU.
13:03And for nearly two decades,
13:05a period of relative calm
13:07kept enlargement
13:08on the back burner.
13:09But Russia's invasion of Ukraine
13:11shattered that peace,
13:12turning EU expansion
13:14into a critical security priority.
13:16But it's also about money.
13:18Look, the EU is already
13:19the region's primary trading partner
13:21and investor.
13:22And only last year,
13:23the total trade reached
13:25over 87 billion euros.
13:27And we're talking about
13:28a massive two-way exchange
13:30of heavy machinery,
13:31chemicals and metals
13:32flowing back and forth
13:33across the border.
13:34And hear me out on that.
13:36The EU exported far more
13:38than it imported
13:39running a handsome profit.
13:40Yet, the EU is not the only
13:42power eyeing the region.
13:44Oh no.
13:45Brussels faces immense
13:46outside pressure
13:47because Moscow,
13:48Beijing and Washington
13:49are all actively competing
13:51for strategic influence there.
13:53So if Europe leaves
13:54power vacuum on its doorstep,
13:56others will gladly fill it.
13:57And the region has already
13:59become a new front line
14:00for geopolitical tensions.
14:02It is most visible in Serbia,
14:04where the government refuses
14:05to align with EU sanctions
14:06against Moscow.
14:08Finally, EU capitals
14:09fear adding more nations
14:11will paralyze decision-making
14:12under the current voting rules.
14:14This is why Albania and Serbia
14:16proposed a face integration,
14:18temporarily waiving
14:19their veto rights
14:20just to get through the door.
14:22And as European Council
14:23Chief Antonio Costa
14:24travels around the region,
14:25Brussels is no longer driven
14:27by an idealistic dream
14:28of European unity.
14:30This is a cold calculation
14:31to secure borders.
14:33Because if the EU doesn't act,
14:34the alternative is a region
14:36politically dependent on Russia,
14:38economically reliant
14:39on Chinese investment,
14:40or potentially turned
14:41into the 51st state of the US.
14:44As it was already suggested
14:45with Greenland,
14:46or Iceland,
14:47or Canada,
14:48I mean,
14:49you get the point.
14:55Jakob Yanis there
14:56on the high stakes
14:56of that EU Western Balkan summit
14:58that comes as protesters
15:00are flocking to the streets
15:01of neighbouring Albania
15:02to speak out against
15:03the construction
15:04of a $1.6 billion luxury resort
15:06backed by President Donald Trump's
15:08son-in-law,
15:09Jared Kushner.
15:10More on that story
15:11on euronews.com.
15:12But now,
15:13Ukraine's President
15:14Volodymyr Zelensky
15:14has sent an open letter
15:16to the Russian President.
15:17In it, he says that
15:18Vladimir Putin
15:19is under pressure
15:20from his own people.
15:21He calls for a one-on-one
15:23meeting to end the war.
15:25The letter arrived
15:26as Putin was answering
15:26questions from the press
15:28in St. Petersburg.
15:29For more,
15:29we can bring in
15:30our Ukraine correspondent,
15:31Sasha Vakilina,
15:32who's on the move today.
15:33Good morning, Sasha.
15:34Thanks for joining us.
15:34It's quite an interesting read.
15:36Tell us more about this letter
15:37and what exactly
15:39prompted it.
15:41Absolutely, Maeve.
15:42In an unprecedented step
15:44for the first time
15:45since Russia's
15:46full-scale invasion
15:46of Ukraine,
15:47over four years
15:49of Odymyr Zelensky
15:50released the first
15:52open letter
15:53to Putin
15:54addressing Russian
15:55President
15:56directly
15:57and personally
15:59with a very clear
16:00message,
16:01quote,
16:01the choice is
16:02yours now.
16:03Enough of war.
16:04Ukraine proposes
16:05to end
16:06this war
16:07that I am proposing
16:09a meeting,
16:10Zelensky said.
16:11Now,
16:11he also provided
16:12more details
16:13about the possible
16:14venue for the meeting.
16:15He said that
16:15Vladimir Putin
16:16spent over half
16:17of his 26 years
16:19chance as the leader
16:20of Russia
16:20waging the war
16:21against Ukraine
16:22and therefore
16:22there is nothing
16:23for Ukraine's
16:24president to do
16:25in Moscow
16:25the same way
16:26as there is
16:26nothing for Russian
16:27president to do
16:28in Kiev.
16:29Therefore,
16:29Zelensky said
16:29that the meeting
16:30could possibly
16:31take place
16:31in our mediating
16:32countries.
16:33That could be
16:34Switzerland,
16:35that could be Turkey,
16:36or that could be
16:37some of the Middle
16:37Eastern countries,
16:38he said.
16:39Now,
16:39Zelensky also commented
16:40on who else
16:41could be participating
16:42in this meeting,
16:43in this talk.
16:44He said that he would
16:45want to see the United
16:46States participating
16:47there because he said
16:48Washington is the one
16:49who can guarantee
16:50and participate
16:51in building the new
16:52security architecture
16:53in this part of the world.
16:54But also,
16:54he said that since
16:55the war is taking
16:57place in Europe,
16:58Zelensky believes
16:59that Europe
16:59has to be
17:01at that negotiating
17:02table and has
17:04to be present
17:04at the future
17:05meeting.
17:06But the message
17:07there,
17:07is clear.
17:08He clearly
17:09and openly
17:10told Vladimir Putin,
17:11you can stop
17:13your war.
17:14Okay,
17:15Sasha,
17:15Vakilina,
17:16thank you so much
17:16for that live
17:17update there.
17:18Now,
17:18the ongoing war
17:19in Ukraine,
17:20confrontations
17:21with China
17:21over trade,
17:22a more hostile
17:23US that no longer
17:24shares the interests
17:25of the EU
17:26and Europe's
17:26innovation problems.
17:27Just a glimpse
17:28of some of the
17:28serious matters
17:29being discussed
17:30today and yesterday
17:31at the Brussels
17:32Economic Security
17:33conference hosted
17:34by the European
17:35Policy Centre.
17:36Our correspondent
17:36Shona Murray
17:37has been covering
17:38the event
17:38and moderating it
17:39as well and joins
17:40us now live
17:41this morning.
17:41Good morning,
17:42Shona.
17:42Just tell us
17:43what's on the
17:44agenda today.
17:46Well,
17:47good morning,
17:47Maeve.
17:47As we know,
17:48and as you
17:48mentioned there,
17:49Europe is facing
17:49so many challenges
17:50on various fronts,
17:52not least,
17:52of course,
17:53the war in Ukraine
17:54and the urgent
17:55need for Europe
17:55to step up
17:56in investment
17:56when it comes
17:57to security
17:58and defence.
17:59We also have
18:00an acknowledgement
18:00across Europe
18:01and in Brussels
18:02here that the
18:03is no longer
18:04the reliable
18:04partner it used
18:05to be,
18:06so there needs
18:06to be a move
18:07away from
18:08interdependence
18:08with Chinese
18:09and United States
18:10tech.
18:11There's also
18:11overcapacity
18:12when it comes
18:13to Chinese exports.
18:14So in order
18:15to face
18:15these challenges
18:16there needs
18:16to be massive
18:17scaling up
18:18of investment
18:19because as we
18:19heard from
18:20the famous
18:20Mario Draghi
18:21report,
18:22Europe could
18:23be in mortal
18:23danger.
18:24And in order
18:25to speak
18:25about this,
18:26I'm joined
18:26by Nadia
18:26Calvino,
18:27President of
18:28the European
18:28Investment Bank.
18:29You're very
18:29welcome.
18:31Tell us,
18:32first of all,
18:32the AIB has
18:33really changed
18:34in the last
18:35couple of years
18:35because of the war
18:36in Ukraine
18:36and has started
18:37to invest,
18:38for example,
18:38in security
18:39and defense,
18:39something that
18:40would have been
18:40maybe unheard
18:41of 10 years ago.
18:43Absolutely.
18:442025 has been
18:45a game changer
18:46for the AIB
18:47in this area.
18:48we have expanded
18:49the scope of the
18:50activities we
18:51financed so that
18:51now we are
18:52financing pure
18:53military as well
18:54as funds and
18:55companies that
18:55are active in
18:56all areas of
18:57defense and we
18:58have also increased
19:00the ceilings for
19:01this investment
19:01so the investment
19:02has multiplied
19:03times four and
19:04we are on track
19:05to meet our
19:05target this year
19:06of financing
19:075% of our
19:09total finance in
19:10the EU devoting
19:11it to security
19:12and defense.
19:13And it's not
19:14I suppose
19:15direct kinetic
19:16goods that
19:16you're investing
19:17in is it
19:17or what
19:18how do you
19:18sort of get
19:19away with not
19:20providing directly
19:21bullets and
19:22guns and so on
19:23what kind of
19:24investment in
19:24defense and so on?
19:26Well Europe
19:26has massive needs
19:27and the European
19:28Investment Bank
19:29is uniquely placed
19:30to finance
19:31large scale
19:32infrastructures
19:33with long term
19:34loans
19:34also research
19:35and development
19:36large scale
19:37programs of
19:38leading companies
19:39Thales or
19:39INRA in Europe
19:40for example
19:41industrial capacity
19:43we're financing
19:43quantum systems
19:44production of
19:45drones
19:46and also
19:47financing
19:48small size
19:49companies
19:50that are
19:50supplying
19:51in the supply
19:52chain of
19:52large European
19:53contractors
19:53and the
19:55emerging ecosystem
19:56of private
19:56venture capital
19:57funds that are
19:58specializing in
19:59this area
19:59actually in
20:002026
20:01we're going to
20:01launch a new
20:02wave of financing
20:03capital injections
20:04in this area
20:05of investment
20:06funds.
20:06I mean also
20:07since the war
20:08in Ukraine
20:08we've also
20:09noticed
20:09we've not
20:10noticed
20:10it's been a
20:10major issue
20:11as Europe's
20:12energy
20:13dependence
20:13on Russia
20:14initially
20:14but also
20:15the implications
20:15of the
20:16closure
20:16of the
20:16Strait of
20:17Ormuz
20:17getting gas
20:18and oil
20:19to the
20:19European continent
20:20tell us
20:21about the
20:21plans for
20:22Europeans
20:22energy
20:23independence
20:25Well I
20:26think that
20:26in the last
20:26years
20:27in the war
20:27in Ukraine
20:27and now
20:28the escalation
20:29of the
20:29conflict
20:29in the
20:29Middle East
20:30send a
20:31very clear
20:31message to
20:32Europe
20:32and that
20:32is we
20:33need to
20:33break free
20:34from our
20:35dependence
20:35on fossil fuels
20:36it's clear
20:37and the
20:38European
20:38investment
20:39bank
20:39being the
20:39climate
20:40bank
20:40is very
20:41well placed
20:42and is
20:42actually
20:43financing
20:43large scale
20:44infrastructures
20:45for example
20:46greeds
20:46interconnected
20:47half of the
20:48projects ongoing
20:48in Europe
20:49are financed by
20:50the EIB
20:50also we're
20:52financing
20:52energy efficiency
20:53for SMEs
20:54research and
20:55development
20:55of new
20:56fuels
20:57clean tech
20:58autonomy
20:59and Europe
21:00strategic autonomy
21:01and economic
21:01security
21:02in this area
21:03solar
21:04wind
21:04we are very
21:06well placed
21:06I think
21:07and what we
21:07see is also
21:08that there is
21:08a strong demand
21:10for EIB
21:11financing
21:11in this area
21:12so I think
21:13that we will
21:13also hit a record
21:14this year
21:15in terms of
21:15financing
21:16for the
21:16clean transition
21:17to make it
21:18a European success
21:19and the other
21:19piece that we
21:20heard from the
21:20European Commission
21:21this week
21:21is around
21:21tech sovereignty
21:22and the need
21:23for the EU
21:23and Europe
21:24to have
21:24its own
21:25access to
21:25the tech
21:26sector
21:27and tech
21:28services
21:28because of
21:29concerns
21:29around security
21:30and that
21:31is going to
21:31be requiring
21:32massive scale
21:33up on
21:33investment
21:34tell us
21:34about the
21:34plans for
21:35that
21:35and how
21:35quickly
21:36they can
21:36be done
21:37yeah
21:38absolutely
21:38Europe
21:38needs to
21:39have
21:39technological
21:40leadership
21:41and also
21:41autonomy
21:42when it
21:42comes to
21:43key
21:44components
21:44of these
21:45solar
21:45and wind
21:46infrastructures
21:46for example
21:47in that sense
21:48we are
21:48moving quite
21:49fast
21:49only
21:50earlier
21:50this week
21:51I was
21:51in Spain
21:52we signed
21:52an important
21:53financing
21:53agreement
21:54for the
21:55research
21:55program
21:55of a
21:56company
21:56called
21:56Inge
21:57Team
21:57present
21:57everywhere
21:58around
21:59the
21:59world
21:59that
22:00produces
22:00solar
22:00inverters
22:01and that
22:02allows us
22:03to scale
22:03up
22:04Europe's
22:04capacity
22:04in an
22:05area
22:05which
22:05is
22:06quite
22:06critical
22:06for
22:07the
22:07solar
22:07panel
22:08deployment
22:09so
22:09from
22:10the
22:10European
22:10investment
22:11bank
22:11we are
22:11supporting
22:12the
22:12approach
22:13of the
22:13European
22:14commission
22:14and
22:14accompanying
22:15and
22:15joining
22:16the
22:16European
22:16commission
22:16in ensuring
22:17that Europe
22:18becomes
22:18independent
22:19not only
22:19when it
22:20comes to
22:20the fuel
22:21supply
22:21but also
22:21when it
22:22comes to
22:22the
22:22technologies
22:23and
22:23industrial
22:24capacity
22:24Thank you
22:32so much
22:33Shona
22:33Murray
22:33and
22:33of course
22:34to
22:34Nadia
22:34Calvino
22:34the head
22:35of
22:35EIB
22:36there
22:36and
22:36thank you
22:37so much
22:37for tuning
22:38in to
22:38us this
22:38morning
22:38on
22:39Europe
22:39Today
22:40for more
22:40news
22:41and analysis
22:41on that
22:42EU
22:42Western
22:43Balkan
22:43summit
22:43taking
22:44place
22:44in
22:45Montenegro
22:45today
22:45do stay
22:46with us
22:46here
22:46on
22:47Euronews
22:47or visit
22:48Euronews.com
22:49for longer
22:49reads
22:50take care
22:50thanks so much
22:51for tuning
22:51in and see
22:52you soon
22:52on Euronews
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