Charles Michel: EU Must Protect International Law and Democratic Principles

The European Union must develop its strategic autonomy, protect international law, and uphold democratic principles.

This was stated by former President of the European Council Charles Michel during his speech at the XIII Global Baku Forum, as reported by 1news.az.

Charles Michel noted that in the modern world, the spread of 'double standards' regarding international law, both within the EU and beyond, weakens the existing system and poses a serious threat to the global order. In his speech, he emphasized that traditional allied relations between the EU and the US are changing, as there are growing disagreements between the parties on issues such as climate change, norms of international law, and the situations in the Middle East and Venezuela. According to Charles Michel, this reality makes it necessary for Europe to make its strategic decisions more independently.

He also outlined three main priorities for the future development of Europe: enhancing competitiveness, strengthening security, and reducing strategic dependencies. In the opinion of the former president, Europe needs to bolster its economic base and establish mechanisms for 'smart' regulation to support innovation. He described the reinforcement of European defense not merely as a slogan, but as a real and urgent need. Charles Michel added that the era of dependence on Russian fossil fuels and Chinese supply chains must come to an end, and sources of supply should be diversified. In conclusion, he stressed that the European Union must reduce its reliance on the US in the field of security and become the full master of its own destiny.

G. Agayev