Brussels, 14/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 14 April, the Czech Presidency issued details on three summits it has convened in Prague on 7/8 May:
- the Employment Summit will be held on the morning of 7 May. The format will be that of the social troika, bringing together acting Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek (whose successor, Jan Fischer, who will lead the new interim Czech government, will only take office on 10 May), the Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeld (representing the next EU Presidency) and his Spanish counterpart José Luis Zapatero (the following Presidency), along with social partners and representatives of the business sector;
- the Eastern Partnership Summit will take place in the afternoon of the same day, 7 May. It will bring together EU heads of state and government and “representatives” of the six Eastern Partnership countries - Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus. The EU Presidency would, of course, like to receive the leaders of these six countries, but Belarus (how appropriate would it be to invite President Alexander Lukashenko when there are still serious democracy and human rights problems in the country?) and Moldova (how is President Vladimir Voronin to be treated, after he accused a member state, Romania, of being behind last week's riots in Chiºinau?) have complicated matters for the Czechs. The Presidency wants, above all, consensus (which does not yet exist) among member states on the level at which the Eastern Partnership countries should be represented at the summit. The issue will be discussed with member states over the coming days and will also be on the agenda for the External Relations Council of 27 April. It is likely that only after this meeting will invitations be sent out. Whatever is decided, there will be no difference in treatment between countries and all will have the same level of representative at the summit, a Presidency spokesman said;
- the “Southern Corridor” Energy Summit has been called for 8 May. The EU troika of the Czech Presidency (Mirek Topolánek), the Commission (José Manuel Barroso and/or Andris Piebalgs) and a representative of the General Secretariat of the Council will meet the heads of government of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Georgia. The leaders of Iraq, Egypt and Uzbekistan will be invited to attend as observers. This project is also known as the “New Silk Road”. Several projects (particularly in the transport sector) involving the Caucasus and Central Asia also form part of the project. NATO is rolling out a project, known as the Virtual Silk Highway, to provide broadband internet connection between scientific communities. (H.B./transl.rt)