Spanish Prime Minister visits Kyiv on first day of country's presidency of EU Council
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has started Spain's presidency of the EU Council with a visit to the Ukrainian capital.
Source: European Pravda
Details: Pedro Sánchez published photos from the Kyiv railway station on his Twitter on the morning of 1 July.
Quote: "I’m already in Kyiv. I want the first event of Spain's presidency of the EU Council to be in Ukraine with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. I will express all European solidarity to the Ukrainian government and parliament. We will continue to support the Ukrainian people until peace is restored in Europe," Sánchez said.
Ya en Kyiv.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) July 1, 2023
He querido que el primer acto de la Presidencia española del Consejo de la UE, sea en Ucrania junto a @ZelenskyyUa.
Trasladaré a su Gobierno y al Parlamento toda la solidaridad europea.
Mantendremos el apoyo al pueblo ucraniano hasta que la paz regrese a Europa. pic.twitter.com/bPcvnYxNZZ
Details: Unlike most foreign top guests' visits, which are kept secret until the last, people knew about Sánchez's visit in advance as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced it during an online speech at a meeting of the European Council.
Background:
- Spain has replaced Sweden as the presiding country in the EU Council on a rotational principle since 1 July and will preside until the end of 2023.
- José Manuel Albares, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, has previously stated that the priority of the Spanish presidency of the European Union will be "preserving Europe’s unity against Russian aggression" in Ukraine.
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has assured that early parliamentary elections at the end of July will not affect his country's presidency of the EU Council in the second half of 2023.
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