Von der Leyen, Macron, Meloni and Starmer outline Europe's strategic priorities in Yerevan

European leaders agreed at a panel session of the European Political Community in Yerevan that the region should reduce strategic dependencies, strengthen defence and build more resilient partnerships amid interconnected security, energy and migration crises.

Report's European bureau says the session was moderated by Cypriot President and incumbent EU Council President Nikos Christodoulides and attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The European Commission president pointed to three vulnerabilities: energy, defence and supply chains.

Von der Leyen said that if one lesson had been learned, it was how vulnerable countries were when they became excessively dependent.

She called for accelerating the transition to "homegrown energy" sources, renewables and nuclear power, deepening the electrification of the economy, increasing the EU's defence capabilities and expanding a network of trade agreements to ensure resilient supplies.

The Italian prime minister described the current situation as a set of multiple crises, adding that separate problems reinforced one another.

Meloni said these were not merely multiple crises, as the issues were connected and reinforced each other.

She singled out migration as a key issue affecting security, the economy and trust in institutions, and urged the EU to shift from reaction to strategic prevention by working more closely with migrants' countries of origin.

Speaking about the concept of "strategic autonomy," Macron said it also applied to technology and industry.

Macron said, for example, that it was impossible to have sustainable autonomy in defence while being 100% dependent on semiconductors.

He stressed the need for "de-risking" - diversifying and localising key supply chains. While warning about the risks of dependence on the United States and China, he described Europe as a "predictable partner" in the global system.

The British prime minister focused on the practical and strategic aspects of security, saying Europe was facing a war on two fronts and that this directly affected everyone.

Starmer said Europe was lagging behind in defence and needed to strengthen its role, including by making a greater contribution to NATO.