Armenia to Be Invited to Eu Summit on New Pan-European Security Body

YEREVAN — Armenia is among the invitees to an EU summit to discuss a new organization uniting the democracies of the European continent, The Guardian reported citing President of the European Council Charles Michel.

The informal summit will take place in Prague on 6 October to forge a European Political Community.

The new British PM will also be invited.

“While EU diplomats agree on Britain’s invitation to the gathering, the question of Turkey’s inclusion is more controversial. Greece and Cyprus, embroiled in long-running disputes with Ankara, oppose inviting Turkey, which remains an official candidate to join the EU although talks have been stalled for years. Michel said the EU should invite Turkey, but that he wanted to “make sure there is support from all colleagues”, The Guardian reports.

“The rest of the guest-list is straightforward: there will be invites for Norway and Switzerland, non-EU countries deeply integrated into the single market, as well as nine countries hoping to join the EU, including Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and six western Balkan states, plus non-candidates Armenia and Azerbaijan.”

“While there have been concerns the European Political Community could simply replicate existing pan-European bodies, such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Michel suggested leaders wanted an informal and “very flexible” body, resembling the G7 or the G20.”

He said: “We don’t want a complicated structure.”