A new pan-European community will be born on Thursday when leaders from all corners of the continent assemble in Prague in a show of strength against Russia, Per Second News gathered.
Despite initial scepticism at the idea dreamt up by French President Emmanuel Macron, diplomats have persuaded 43 countries to take part in the summit including Ukraine and Britain.
Leaders will discuss security, energy and the economy in the historic surroundings of Prague Castle, with officials stressing the informal nature of the gathering, known as the European Political Community.
Organisers want the inaugural summit to be as amicable as possible. No policy decisions are planned, meaning no bickering over texts, and leaders’ aides met last week to defuse possible points of tension in advance.
The new club received a boost when UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, who poured cold water on the idea when she was foreign secretary and has verbally sparred with Mr Macron, accepted her invitation to Prague.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address the summit remotely in its opening session, following interventions by Ms Truss, the Czech prime minister and others.
Mr Zelenskyy was also initially wary of the project after Mr Macron pitched it as a way of bringing Ukraine into the European fold without fast-tracking its EU membership bid, which he said could take decades.
However, officials insist the community is not a substitute for EU membership, and applicants including Albania, North Macedonia, Moldova and Georgia have accepted invitations to Prague.
Third countries including Norway, Switzerland and Iceland with no ambitions to join the EU are also taking part. Russia and Belarus are the only major countries not invited.
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