PRAGUE - Leaders of 44 European countries gather on Thursday for the inaugural summit of the European Political Community , a grand show of solidarity for a continent mired in multiple crises, but beyond that it is unclear what the forum is meant to achieve.
An EU diplomat said the gathering of so many leaders in Prague would send"a very strong signal" to Russian President Vladimir Putin of opposition to theDiplomats say no such Europe-wide grouping exists, and this is a good moment to forge one as the whole continent grapples with consequences of the war, including the threat to peace and security and an economically devastating energy crisis.
In a blog, Mr Borrell said clarity was still needed on the EPC's core rationale, the forum's final membership, its relationship with the EU, how it should take decisions and even whether it should have a budget of its own. Still, Mr Mujtaba Rahman, Eurasia Group's managing director for Europe, said it could present an opportunity for the EU to advance its strategic goals on energy supply, migration, security and defence.