Mateusz Morawiecki and fellow European leaders are on Wednesday set to meet with their counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), namely the leaders of Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Piotr Müller, the spokesman for the Polish government, noted in a statement that EU-ASEAN meetings had been taking place every two years since 1996.
He added: “At the summit of member states, dialogue is based on the principle of equal partnership and comprises three broad topics: political issues, economic and financial affairs, as well as cultural and intellectual issues.”
Meanwhile, Thursday’s meeting of the European Council will focus on the consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the energy market, security and defence, officials said.
Support for Ukraine
Müller stated that EU leaders would discuss further support to Ukraine, with Poland pressing for “an increase in EU assistance, especially humanitarian aid and help with the reconstruction of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure.”
The spokesman said Poland welcomed this week’s agreement to supply Ukraine with EUR 18 billion in financial aid in 2023 and hoped the deal would be “approved as soon as possible.”
“Poland is also pushing for the adoption of a new package of sanctions on Russia even before the European Council meeting,” Müller said.
Energy
EU leaders are expected to review progress on decisions reached at their meeting in October designed to reform the EU energy market, Müller told reporters.
He added that Poland would stress "Russia’s responsibility for the energy and economic crisis," call for further punitive measures, and “for the EU to refrain from imposing an additional financial burden on households when it comes to heating costs and transport.”
Security and defence
In addition, EU leaders will “take stock of the work carried out” so far to implement commitments on security and defence, such as to bolster the bloc’s defence capabilities, Müller said.
He added: “Poland stresses that in the current situation, the priority is to strengthen the transatlantic relationship and develop the EU’s strategic partnership with NATO.”
Southern neighbourhood and Western Balkans
The European Council is also expected to address cooperation with the countries of the so-called “southern neighbourhood” and the progress on the bloc’s enlargement, in particular the situation of the Western Balkan countries, Müller told the media.
He said, as quoted by the PAP news agency: “Poland wants the EU’s enlargement policy to remain highly dynamic, both in relation to the countries of the Western Balkans and the eastern partners.”
He added that the EU should “appreciate the efforts of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to conduct priority reforms, encourage them to take further action and commit to supporting them on this path."
Wednesday is day 294 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
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Source: IAR, PAP, consilium.europa.eu