TIRANA, ALBANIA - MAY 16, 2025 - ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTRY: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Friday, May 16, that encouraging Russia and Ukraine to engage in dialogue without imposing preconditions is crucial for achieving a just and lasting peace, given the sensitivity of the ongoing negotiation process. His remarks came at the sixth European Political Community (EPC) summit that began on Friday in Albania. A total of 47 heads of state or government as well as EU institutions are attending the summit in the capital Tirana. Among those attending are Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. From international groups or organizations, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset are all attending. The summit with the theme “New Europe in a new world: unity – cooperation – joint action” will focus on issues such as European security including support to Ukraine, European defense, and safeguarding democracy.