Forty-four European leaders gathered in Prague for the first summit of a new international forum to discuss the challenges facing the continent.
ADVERTISEMENTLeaders from across Europe on Thursday hailed their united front against Russia’s war on Ukraine, after gathering in Prague for the inaugural meeting of the European Political Community.
They emphasized common values as the new club of nations gathered for the event, billed as an opportunity for European leaders to discuss the continent’s challenges.
The inaugural summit of the European Political Community brought together the 27 member countries of the European Union, the United Kingdom – now outside the EU – as well as aspiring partners from the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
Russia was the only major European power not invited to the gathering at Prague Castle, along with Belarus, its neighbor and supporter of the war against Ukraine.
The conflict has fueled an energy crisis and high inflation that are wreaking havoc on European economies.
“Leaders leave this summit with a greater collective resolve to resist Russian aggression. What we saw in Prague was a forceful display of solidarity with Ukraine and for the principles of freedom and democracy,” said British Prime Minister Liz Truss.
His Belgian counterpart, Alexander De Croo, said: “If you just look at the attendance here, you see the importance. The entire European continent is here, except for two countries: Belarus and Russia. So this shows how isolated these two countries are.
Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said the consequences of the war were something they all had in common.
“It affects all of us from a security perspective, and it affects all of us through our economies, through rising energy costs. The only way to solve this problem is therefore to work together, and not just with the European Union. All European countries must work together,” he said.
The summit was initially billed as a community of democratic nations in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
But some heads of state in Prague questioned the presence of some of their counterparts, notably the leaders of Turkey and Azerbaijan, according to an EU official interviewed on the issue.
“Many leaders emphasize values,” the official said, with respect for the international order and the rule of law seen as a prerequisite for inclusion in this new forum.
The subject of membership and whether the EPC should therefore be expanded or rather reduced should be addressed in the closing plenary session, the official added.
“The United Nations in Europe”
The war in Ukraine dominated the agenda of the first meeting, with Volodymyr Zelenskyy joining the summit virtually. The Ukrainian leader called on those gathered in the Czech capital to step up sanctions against Russia and increase financial and military aid to his country.
He also demanded that they give “security guarantees before we join NATO”.
Emmanuel Macron later said that European countries would send Ukraine more military equipment to counter Russia, including more French Caesar-type howitzers.
“We are indeed working on several requests, with several EU members, in particular on new Caesars,” declared the French president.
The 44 leaders also discussed the economic situation, energy and climate, as well as migration and mobility, in small groups before separating for bilateral meetings.
ADVERTISEMENT“It is certainly useful to have this platform, which will allow us, I hope, to discuss in substance on how to bring together a certain number of actions in order to defend the interests of our citizens throughout the continent European”, declared the President of the European Council. » declared Charles Michel upon arriving at Prague Castle for the summit.
The new format was described as a “United Nations in Europe” by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and a “historic event” by his Icelandic counterpart Katrín Jakobsdóttir.
“It’s interesting because here we have leaders from the EU and third countries meeting and really discussing European policy, not just in the context of the EU. And I think that’s a good thing coming from Iceland,” she told reporters upon her arrival.
“Strategic intimacy”
French President Emmanuel Macron first floated the idea of the community in a speech at the end of the Conference on the Future of Europe in May, amid unprovoked Russian aggression against Ukraine entered its third month.
Macron then declared that the EU could not be the only way to structure the European continent and that it was time to organize Europe in a broader perspective.
ADVERTISEMENTEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also called for this new community during her State of the Union address in September.
To allay the concerns of Western Balkan countries who have been waiting in the EU’s wing for years, Macron and the Commission chief stressed that this new format would not replace enlargement.
This was echoed this week by an EU official, who said discussions with Western Balkan countries had in recent years focused only on the accession process, but that the new political community would allow for ” broader political discussions” on security and stability.
“We want the whole of Europe, not just the European Union, to pursue a policy of security, peace, expansion, freedom and economic growth,” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Thursday. .
“We want to help our neighbors. We know very well that peace throughout Europe depends on a secure neighborhood, so to speak, but also in the Western Balkans,” he added.
ADVERTISEMENTMacron, for his part, said the aim of the meeting was to send a message of unity and “build strategic intimacy” with all European countries.
“The objective is first of all to share a common reading of the situation affecting our Europe, to build a common strategy and therefore a strategic dialogue which until now has not really existed and which could give rise to divisions . And I hope to achieve this with joint projects,” he added.
“Unity and determination”
Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, which do not wish to be part of the EU, were also present. All three have deep economic ties with the EU but have so far had no opportunity to discuss broader pan-European issues.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss spoke at the opening plenary session, saying that “Europe is facing its greatest crisis since the Second World War. And we have faced it together with unity and determination.” .
“We must continue to stand firm – to ensure that Ukraine wins this war, but also to confront the strategic challenges it has exposed,” she added, according to a Downing Street statement.
ADVERTISEMENTShe then held one-on-one meetings with French President Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Rutte to discuss common issues, including energy and migration. The meeting between the United Kingdom and France was followed by a joint statementwhile the Dutch leader reportedly described his meeting with Truss as “fantastic”.
Macron and Michel also took the opportunity to hold a quadrilateral meeting with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, as tensions remain high in the region following a recent episode of deadly hostilities, both blamed on other.
There was no formal written text following the first community meeting. But Macron, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Moldovan President Maia Sandu took part in an evening news conference at the end of the event.
Moldova is currently the favorite to host the next meeting, with Spain and the United Kingdom hosting the next ones, according to an EU official.
The leaders of the 27 EU member states will meanwhile meet alone on Friday for an informal meeting of the EU Council to refine their joint response to the war in Ukraine and its consequences for the economic and energy markets.
ADVERTISEMENTDivisions among member states over sanctions against Russia and the best ways to protect Europeans from spiraling costs of living and energy crises, however, have begun to reveal deep cracks in the bloc’s unity.
