Leaders from around 50 countries, including Azerbaijan, to gather in Dublin for EPC summit

Leaders of about 50 countries, including Azerbaijan, will gather on November 12 in Dublin for the ninth summit of the European Political Community (EPC), which will be co-chaired by European Council President António Costa and Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, Report informs referring to the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU,

The theme of the summit is "Europe - strong, secure and connected."

The Irish Presidency outlined the geographical scope of the meeting with the phrasing "Stretching from Iceland to Armenia and Azerbaijan." In total, leaders of 47 countries with a population of over 700 million people have been invited, along with representatives of EU institutions and other European and international organizations.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will attend the summit as a special guest.

The discussions will focus on strengthening the European economy amid geopolitical challenges, developing innovations and transport-energy interconnectivity, supporting Ukraine against the backdrop of ongoing Russian aggression, as well as countering hybrid threats and attempts to undermine democratic institutions.

As a senior EU Council official said ahead of the meeting, the summit's program includes a plenary session with the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, followed by two thematic roundtables.

The first will be dedicated to increasing Europe's competitiveness, including innovations, interconnectivity, and affordable energy. The second will focus on protecting and strengthening a democratic Europe.

According to the official, the Russian war against Ukraine will remain one of the central topics of discussion. Special attention will also be paid to hybrid campaigns directed against European infrastructure, borders, and societies.

It is expected that in addition to the main sessions, the leaders will hold a number of bilateral and multilateral meetings. As the senior EU Council official noted, the opportunity for such contacts in various formats is one of the important components of the European Political Community's work.

The European Political Community was established in 2022 following the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a platform for political and strategic dialogue among European countries. It meets twice a year. The first meeting took place in October 2022 in Prague.

Azerbaijan will host the EPC summit in the spring of 2028.