High Representative/Vice-President Kallas

Thank you, and good day everyone. 

First, lets discuss the EU strategy for the Black Sea and the External Action Guarantee. The Black Sea is strategically important due to its connection between Central Asia and Europe. Security, trade, and energy are crucial in this region.

We propose a Black Sea Maritime Security Hub as an early warning system. This will help protect critical infrastructure and can also assist in monitoring peace between Russia and Ukraine.

Additionally, we aim to enhance military mobility by upgrading infrastructure in the region and combat hybrid threats with improved cybersecurity.

Thank you for your attention. 

Commissioner Kos

Thank you, Kaja, for discussing the first pillar of the Black Sea Strategy. I will focus on the second and third pillars: competitiveness and resilience.

We will develop new energy corridors and digital infrastructure to the Caucasus and Central Asia. This helps us diversify from Russia and opens new investment opportunities.

The third pillar focuses on preparing coastal communities and the blue economy to tackle war-related environmental damage and manage climate change risks.

Commissioner Síkela

Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to explain our simplification measures. We approved a proposal to make our external financing tools more effective, unlocking approximately €500 million in new funds for investments in partner countries.

Thank you for your attention.