Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, arrived this Thursday at 09:30 (minus two hours in Lisbon) at the second summit of the European Political Community in Moldova, where about 50 European leaders are taking part to discuss security and energy issues.
Guest of honor Volodymyr Zelensky was an expected presence, but with no confirmation until the last minute, and was the first to arrive at the European Political Community Summit, shortly after the host, Moldovan President, Maia Sandu.
For its part, European sources indicated that Turkish President Recep Erdogan, who was on a list of participants, will not participate in this event.
This Thursday, Moldova will host the second summit of the European Political Community, the cooperation platform for security and stability in Europe, with leaders from the European Union (EU) and other countries, now focusing on peace and energy.
The second summit of the European Political Community will bring together leaders from across the European continent at Mimi’s Castle in Bulboaca, 35 kilometers from Moldova’s capital, Chisinau, and nearly 20 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.
Ahead of the meeting, community sources spoke of an “important message” for Moscow, of European cooperation, even on Russia’s doorstep, in discussions of peace and security, namely the war in Ukraine, interconnections in Europe and energy resilience in the face of suppliers like Russians, with much of the meeting devoted to bilateral and trilateral debates.
In addition to the 27 Member States of the European Union, the six countries of the Western Balkans (Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro), the countries of the trio that recently applied to join the EU (Georgia , Moldova, Ukraine), the four countries of the European Free Trade Association (Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein), the United Kingdom, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Andorra, Monaco and North Macedonia.
Portugal will be represented on the occasion by Head of Government António Costa.
Also taking part are the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.
Established in 2022 on the basis of the vision of French President Emmanuel Macron, unveiled in a speech on Europe Day last May, the European Political Community is a platform for political dialogue and cooperation on issues of common concern and for strengthening security , stability and prosperity on the European continent, but does not replace an existing organisation, structure or process.
At the first meeting of the European Political Community last October, the leaders of 44 European countries discussed peace and security issues, in particular the war in Ukraine following the Russian invasion, and the energy crisis.
In what is the largest political event hosted by the country, Moldova is hosting the second summit, which is also the first hosted by a non-EU country.
The next meetings of the European Political Community will take place in Spain and the United Kingdom, given the rotation system, with the host alternating between an EU Member State and a third country every six months.
Source: DN
