EU leaders to meet in Brussels on March 19 for European Council session to discuss competitiveness, single market, support for Ukraine, and Middle East crisis
EU leaders will convene in Brussels on March 19 at the European Council meeting to discuss competitiveness, the single market, support for Ukraine, and the crisis in the Middle East. This was reported by Marilena Raouna, Cyprus’s Deputy Minister for European Affairs, speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on March 11.
“As always, the session will begin with an exchange of views with the President of the European Parliament, after which the leaders are expected to hear from President Zelensky,” said the Deputy Minister.
Raouna noted that the spring European Council meeting traditionally focuses on economic issues. This time, leaders will address competitiveness, the deepening and integration of the single market, and the multiannual financial framework in light of the rapidly changing geopolitical environment. They will also discuss the situation in Ukraine and the wider Middle East.
“In the current worsening geopolitical situation, it is important to reaffirm the EU’s unwavering support for Ukraine, which remains a top priority,” Marilena Raouna said.
In this context, leaders will exchange views with President Zelensky and continue discussions on how the Union can maintain its support for Ukraine at all levels, she added.
The Deputy Minister also highlighted broader links between regional crises.
“Iran has long supplied Russia with Shahed drones, which are widely used in attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure,” she said, adding that Ukraine has gained substantial experience in countering these strikes over the years. Kyiv has already offered to share this experience,” Raouna said, noting that it illustrates how interconnected today’s security challenges have become. “In this complex environment, the European Union must remain united, principled, and engaged,” the Deputy Minister emphasized.
