“Fostering political dialogue and cooperation on issues of common interest”; and “strengthening the security, stability and prosperity of Europe as a whole”. These are the two main objectives of the European Political Community that will bring together for the first time – in Prague on 6 October – the leaders of the entire continent “in a spirit of solidarity”. The meeting will take place on the eve of the informal meeting of the EU heads of state or government. The Community is “a platform for political coordination” that “does not replace existing bodies, policies and instruments, and does not aim at creating new ones at this stage”, the European Council said on its website.
The meeting will be attended by representatives of the 27 EU Member States plus Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, the UK, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine. The Presidents of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and of the European Council, Charles Michel, will also be present. The programme features plenary debates and round-table discussions on peace and security, energy, climate, and the economic situation.
In his invitation letter to political leaders today, European Council President Charles Michel said: “in a few days, we will gather for two important events in Prague: the first meeting of the European Political Community on 6 October, and an informal meeting of the European Council the following day. With the dramatic consequences of Russia’s war affecting European countries on many fronts, we agreed to launch the European Political Community with the aim of bringing together countries on the European continent and providing a platform for political coordination. The ambition is to bring leaders together on an equal footing and to foster political dialogue and cooperation on issues of common interest so that, together, we work on strengthening the security, stability and prosperity of Europe as a whole”.