Leaders from all corners of Europe have assembled in Prague in a show of strength against Russia.
Despite initial scepticism at the idea for a new pan-European community dreamt up by French President Emmanuel Macron, diplomats have persuaded 43 countries to take part in the summit including Ukraine, Turkey and post-Brexit Britain.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters: “This meeting is a way of looking for a new order without Russia. It doesn’t mean that we want to exclude Russia forever, but this Russia — Putin’s Russia — has not a seat. Unhappily you cannot build a security order with Russia. Russia is isolated."
As she arrived, Iceland’s prime minister, Katrin Jakobsdottir, said: "What you will see here is that Europe stands in solidarity against the Russian invasion in Ukraine.”
Her Belgian counterpart, Alexander De Croo, said that “if you just look at the attendance here, you see the importance. The whole European continent is here, except two countries: Belarus and Russia. So it shows how isolated those two countries are.”
Leaders will discuss security, energy and the economy in the historic surroundings of Prague Castle, with officials stressing the informal nature of the gathering, known as the European Political Community.
“It’s a bit like New York,” one EU official said, comparing the summit to the annual gathering of leaders at the UN General Assembly.
“You have formal bilaterals. But they meet and they sit for coffee and it’s not scheduled as a bilateral. You also have the dinner and who you are sitting next to.”
Organisers want the inaugural summit to be as amicable as possible. No policy decisions are planned, meaning no bickering over texts, and leaders’ aides met last week to defuse possible points of tension in advance.
Still, diplomatic spats remain possible. Serbia can expect a grilling over its refusal to impose sanctions on Russia, while Azerbaijan and Armenia are both on the guest list only weeks after deadly clashes.
The new club received a boost when UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, who poured cold water on the idea when she was foreign secretary and has verbally sparred with Mr Macron, accepted her invitation to Prague.
European officials have been at pains to stress that the new community is not an “EU-plus” or a substitute for Nato, addressing potential British concerns. They instead compare the summit to gatherings such as the G7 or G20.
Ms Truss said Europe must “continue to stand firm” with Ukraine as she arrived in the Czech Republic.
The UK prime minister tweeted: “Europe is facing its biggest crisis since the Second World War with unity and resolve. We must continue to stand firm to ensure that Ukraine wins this war, dealing with the strategic challenges that it has exposed.”
She is expected to meet French leader Emmanuel Macron for a bilateral meeting after holding talks with him during a UN summit in New York last month.
Downing Street says Ms Truss’s talks with Mr Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will focus on migration and aim to secure progress on joint operations to disrupt people-trafficking gangs.
Ms Truss is also expected to join Czech leader Petr Fiala for a working lunch.
Mujtaba Rahman, a former UK Treasury official who worked in London and Brussels, said Britain’s attendance could mark a turning point in its difficult post-Brexit relations with the EU.
The EPC’s most important achievement “may be to reintroduce post-Brexit UK back to the idea of European co-operation,” he said.
“This is not about a full British return to the EU. But something interesting is happening in relations between Truss’s beleaguered new government and its European neighbours.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address the summit remotely in its opening session, following interventions by Ms Truss, the Czech prime minister and others.
Mr Zelenskyy was also initially wary of the project after Mr Macron pitched it as a way of bringing Ukraine into the European fold without fast-tracking its EU membership bid, which he said could take decades.
Sceptics have variously described the new group as a waiting room, a car park, a second-class ticket, a second-tier Europe or a form of purgatory for countries hoping to one day join the EU.
“We reject any attempt to find an alternative that no one needs, or to find something else for Ukraine. We need to be like you,” Mr Zelenskyy told EU leaders in May.
However, officials insist the community is not a substitute for EU membership, and applicants including Albania, North Macedonia, Moldova and Georgia have accepted invitations to Prague.
Third countries including Norway, Switzerland and Iceland with no ambitions to join the EU are also taking part. Russia and Belarus are the only major countries not invited.
The EPC is not formally affiliated with the EU, although invitations were sent out by European Council president Charles Michel and the Czech EU presidency. The EU’s 27 leaders will stay on for separate talks on Friday.
Mr Michel wrote in an invitation letter that the aim is to “bring leaders together on an equal footing and to foster political dialogue and co-operation”.
A show of unity from so many European leaders against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine is “an important message towards Russia,” an EU official said.
Showing Europe’s interest in countries such as Armenia, in “what is sometimes considered as Moscow’s backyard, is I think of geopolitical importance,” they said.
The war in Ukraine has given something of a push to long-stalled EU membership applications, amid concern that countries will grow tired and drift into Russia’s orbit.
There was some debate about whether to invite Turkey to a club of like-minded democracies, but France said it favoured an inclusive approach and Greece said it did not object.
The 43 leaders will pose for an unusually large “family photo” in Prague, with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal attending in person. Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen is the one leader too busy with domestic politics to attend.
They will then split into groups to discuss energy and security, although they can move tables and mingle with other leaders. Three hours are devoted to bilateral meetings before a final plenary discussion over dinner.
Only one formal decision is expected — which country hosts the next summit. The community is expected to meet approximately every six months. Britain has been tipped as a possible future host.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Scoreline
UAE 2-1 Saudi Arabia
UAE Mabkhout 21’, Khalil 59’
Saudi Al Abed (pen) 20’
Man of the match Ahmed Khalil (UAE)
Five healthy carbs and how to eat them
Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand
Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat
Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar
Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices
Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants
Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
Match info
Deccan Gladiators 87-8
Asif Khan 25, Dwayne Bravo 2-16
Maratha Arabians 89-2
Chadwick Walton 51 not out
Arabians won the final by eight wickets
