Prague hosts 1st event of broader European forum

PRAGUE — Leaders of more than 40 European countries met in Prague on Thursday for the inaugural meeting of the European Political Community, or EPC.

The participants held roundtable discussions on security and peace as well as energy, climate and economy. They also discussed the platform's future settings, including the frequency of meetings.

"Europe has many difficult problems right now, and we meet here to discuss solutions," Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said at the opening of the session.

"We want to have this group as a forum for informal exchanges of views on current events in Europe and beyond," he said, mentioning the Russia-Ukraine conflict, inflation, high energy prices, the transition to sustainable energy, the economy and illegal migration.

The EPC meeting in Prague is the first of its kind. Besides the 27 member states of the European Union, several Western Balkan nations, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and non-EU countries that are deeply integrated in the single market, such as Norway and Switzerland, as well as the United Kingdom and Turkiye, were invited to the so-called EU+ gathering.

The brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron, the EPC serves as a platform for political coordination for European countries.

It aims to promote political dialogue and cooperation on issues of common interest to strengthen the continent's security and stability, according to the EU.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video speech: "We have received not just another format of cooperation in Europe, but an extremely powerful opportunity to restore peace in Europe."

Other leaders thanked Macron for his initiative, despite initial concerns from some that it might slow down the expansion of the EU.

British Prime Minister Liz Truss, a fierce supporter of the UK's independent path since Brexit, had some respite from a disastrous start to her tenure at home on one of her first trips abroad since taking office.

Truss, who has clashed with Brussels over the post-Brexit deal on Northern Ireland, was keen to stress that the meeting was not an "EU construct" as she focused on migration, energy and security.

"It is very important that we work with our neighbors and allies to face down Putin but also deal with the issues we face," she told UK broadcasters. "This is not about moving closer to Europe."

At a news conference, Macron said the meeting had sent a "powerful" message. "At the scale of the continent, we're trying to fix problems," he said.

The next meeting will be held in Moldova in the spring.

However, some critics have said the new platform is an attempt to hinder EU enlargement and may become a talking shop with no real content.

Macron said before the meeting that he expects the EPC to have a lasting impact on the future of Europe. But the Czech presidency of the Council of the EU had said that "no formal written outcome of the EPC was envisaged" in Prague.

On Friday, EU leaders were scheduled to meet for an informal summit to discuss the most pressing issues facing the bloc, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the rising cost of energy and its economic ramifications.

Agencies - Xinhua