“I am really glad that this year, you decided to bring together the whole DG NEAR family, including colleagues in headquarters and in our 23 Delegations across the region. Because today, more than ever before, DG NEAR stands at the heart of the European Commission, and of the European Union.

It’s been almost five years since I wrote in the Political Guidelines that I wanted to re-energise and reaffirm the enlargement process. But five years ago, nobody could imagine what history had in store for us.

First, it was the pandemic. With the urgent need to support our neighbours, and to show them the meaning of European solidarity. And then came Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It was a watershed moment for Europe. Not only because Putin brought war back to our continent.

[…]

The final months of the mandate will continue to be challenging. And now I am thinking about not only our Eastern neighbours, but also the Middle East and North Africa. The shockwaves of the war in Gaza will continue to be felt across the region and the world. Our first duty continues to be to address the humanitarian needs of Palestinians, and to work on a political perspective for the day after, towards a two-State solution that delivers peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

But in parallel, we must also keep up the good work of these years to strengthen our cooperation across the region. For instance, we have created new comprehensive partnerships with Tunisia and Egypt, and we are working on other similar partnerships in the region. We belong to one common region. Our prosperity is linked to the prosperity of our neighbours.To their jobs, their growth, their clean and digital transitions. Our future and our neighbours’ future are one and the same.”