LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Liz Truss will attend the first summit of the European Political Community in the Czech Republic next week, Politico reported on Thursday.
Britain told European partners that Truss is not only willing to attend the gathering in Prague, but also that she is willing to host the next summit in London, Politico said, citing two officials from a meeting on Thursday.
Truss’s Downing Street office had no immediate comment when contacted by Reuters.
French President Emmanuel Macron first proposed the idea of a European Political Community in an effort to counter Russian and Chinese influence in the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
The idea was also to ensure countries like Britain, Norway and Switzerland have a political forum to collaborate with the European Union and work on common projects, such as immigration or energy.
The group’s meeting next week will focus on the Ukraine conflict and energy security, Politico reported.
Some countries have expressed scepticism, fearing the new forum could be a way to keep candidates to EU membership outside the club, while others have criticised a new talking shop without a clear purpose.
(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar in London and Michel Rose in Paris; Editing by Toby Chopra)
