Excellencies, we have a very substantial agenda of reports and proposals to consider today. So I only wish to make a few observations before the Chairperson of the Commission presents his update.

The first is to thank you very sincerely for making the time to participate in this Extraordinary Summit, the second one this year. It is a lot to ask. But we are getting the results we need and that would absolutely not be possible without sustained engagement at the highest level.

Second, there has clearly been a breakthrough in the quality of our working methods and consultation. The reform of the Commission, including the manner of selection and performance management, is simultaneously the central pillar of the institutional reform, and the most difficult.

The achievement of a robust and principled consensus on the way forward is therefore of great significance, not only for this process but for everything else related to Agenda 2063.

The retreat of the Executive Council in September was decisive. The Permanent Representatives Committee followed up on its outcomes expeditiously. And the technical work by the Reform Implementation Unit is the foundation, building on input from the various Organs.

What this demonstrates is that efficiency and decisiveness need not come at the expense of continuous consultation and improvement. On the contrary, one is impossible without the other.

We will need to put this spirit of cooperation to work to sustain us through the implementation of the Continental Free Trade Area and the re-negotiation of our relationship with the European Union. On that matter, I will share additional observations when we arrive at that portion of the agenda.

There are clear options for strengthening the sanctions mechanism, even as additional work is required before a decision is taken on the scale of assessment. Rather than lose momentum, I suggest we separate these two issues and move to finalise the sanctions component at this Summit.

Excellencies, I thank you for your attention, and most of all I thank you for your continued participation and trust.