Czechia decided to join the new Brussels Institute for Geopolitics, established in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Brussels-based institute, which aims to stimulate the debate on Europe’s current geopolitical challenges, received support from the leaders of France, Germany and the Netherlands during October’s 2022 European Political Community summit in Prague.
The Institute’s founders had expressed interest in Czechia joining from the start due to its expertise and the need for a geographical spread into Central and Eastern Europe, according to the Czech Foreign Ministry.
Membership comes with an annual contribution of €50,000 to €70,000 for the functioning of the organisation, Czech News Agency reported.
The Institute’s founding committee envisages an annual budget of at least €3 million, with contributions from each country depending on the country’s size and part of the funding coming from the private sector and foundations.
This year, the institute plans to publish a report on the future of the European political community in May or June before the summit in Chisinau.
In the autumn, it plans a report on energy security and the geopolitics of energy resources. Both reports will be followed by public events, which will be prepared by Czech experts. The Institute also plans to cooperate with European universities, including Charles University.
The centre should be fully operational from the start of 2024. According to Czech diplomacy, Denmark, Romania, Portugal, and Spain, as well as representatives of some large companies and some European foundations, are also negotiating to join the institute.
(Aneta Zachová | EURACTIV.cz)
Source: euractiv.com
