Security and energy cooperation as key topics at the 8th European Political Community Summit in Yerevan
The Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Andrej Babiš, visited the Republic of Armenia on 3 and 4 May 2026, attending the 8th summit of the European Political Community in Yerevan. The main topics of the summit were energy and economic security, the current geopolitical situation and strengthening stability in Europe. The summit included a number of bilateral meetings.
The summit was preceded by a working dinner for all the leaders, hosted by Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, and bilateral talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine. “We discussed the current situation on the front line and how to bring the war to an end, but we also talked about assistance with Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction, which could present a major opportunity for Czech companies,” said Prime Minister Babiš after the meeting. The Ukrainian president described the talks as productive and once again thanked the Czechs for their support.
The summit programme included plenary sessions and thematic round-table discussions. The Prime Minister took part in a discussion focused on strengthening connectivity and economic security in the context of the green transition.
The Prime Minister emphasised that the talks focused primarily on security and energy cooperation. “Together with the leaders of 46 other countries, we focused primarily on security, including energy interconnections across Europe. We also discussed drug-related crime in the region, the ways of bringing it down, cracking down on traffickers and drug cartels, and tackling money laundering, but above all we talked about how to prevent substance abuse in the long run,” said the Prime Minister.
The summit also provided an opportunity for bilateral talks. During the summit, Prime Minister Babiš had the opportunity to hold talks with other heads of state and representatives of member states, both during formal meetings and at informal gatherings on the sidelines of the event. “Thank you very much for our first meeting and for the very warm reception from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. I also had the opportunity to speak with Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Turkish Vice-President Cevdet Yılmaz, Serbian Prime Minister Đure Macut, Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, and, over breakfast, with Secretary-General Mark Rutte,” the Prime Minister added.
The Prime Minister stated that, in addition to bilateral meetings, talks had also taken place in a broader regional format, which he described as an informal “V3”. “I also managed to attend several bilateral meetings, as well as one in a broader format.” “With Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, it was a sort of a V3 arrangement, and I believe that we will be in touch much more often, and above all that we will act in unison at European Council meetings where we have shared interests,” said the Prime Minister.
The European Political Community is an informal intergovernmental platform aimed at strengthening political dialogue and cooperation across the European continent. It brings together 47 European countries, including both EU Member States and non-Member States. The first summit took place in October 2022 in Prague, and summits have been held regularly ever since.
