Informal EU leaders' retreat: Press remarks by High Representative Kaja Kallas upon arrival

Check against delivery! 

Good morning. 

Today we are going to discuss competitiveness and of course that is the basis for all. Because in terms of geopolitics, if you want to be a geopolitical power, you are either a strong economic power or a strong military power.  

We are a strong economic power, but we need to be stronger, that is for sure. We need to work with our simplification processes. We need to work with everything that is helping our companies.  

Yesterday, we had a meeting with the Defence Ministers and even Defence Ministers were saying that ramping up defence production, what are the obstacles are actually that the Capital Markets Union does not work and the access to capital is hindered and all this. 

So, definitely, there is something that we need to work with and also to build partnerships to diversify our trade portfolios. 

Q. Are you in favour of ‘Made in Europe’? 

I am a liberal, so I do not believe in protectionism, because in the longer term, I think it is best for our companies if they can freely export, and if we make ourselves stronger, then our products are also competitive and we do not need the protectionism. Saying that we also have to deal with the economic coercive practices that come from China that greatly damage our companies. That is for sure. 
 

Q. What do you think about the castle? 

I have not really been able to look around yet, so I can tell later. Thank you. 

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/media/video/I-284847