Starmer and also NATO's Secretary-General Mark Rutte are invited as special guests when the EU's incoming Council President António Costa holds a special meeting on defense issues on February 3, 2025.
The meeting is the first of a new informal type, where the intention is for the heads of state and government to be able to talk more relaxed, without demands for decisions or joint statements. The meeting will be held in Belgium, but not in the usual summit meeting rooms in Brussels.
Costa, who was Prime Minister of Portugal from 2015-24, formally takes over as Council President from outgoing Charles Michel on Sunday. His main task is to lead the EU's summits – next on December 19 when the EU's heads of state and government gather in Brussels, after first meeting their colleagues from the Western Balkan countries the evening before.
In contrast to his predecessors, António Costa hopes to be able to start his summits earlier in the day and only hold them for one day.
