The 18th Central Europe Summit of Heads of State has begun in Bratislava city today, hosted by Ivan Gašparovič, the President of the Slovak Republic. The summit’s main events are being held at Bratislava Castle and in the Reduta building, and are being attended by twenty presidents and officials from Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe. The primary purpose for the high-profile meeting is to discuss the economic situation in Europe, and how the eurozone is confronting its current economic and social situation.
The event will begin with a speech from President Gašparovič and the European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, followed with a concert by the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra and afterwards an official dinner for the heads of state. Along with heads of state from Austria to Ukraine, 13 wives of heads of state will also be in attendance, and who have a separate schedule involving visiting an art gallery and wine tastings. The first day of the event will focus primarily on welcoming the guests to Slovakia, with the second day, Thursday, aiming at discussing the pressing economic issues facing the European Union. Day two will see the guests concentrate on seeking impetuses to restore sustainable growth to the area, and prevent the recurrence of similar economic and financial crises in the future. During a round-table debate on the possible ways to reinforce regional cooperation among EU member and non-member countries from the Eastern Neighbourhood and Western Balkans, the presidents will search for means and possibilities to use EU initiatives and projects to boost economic and social development on a broader regional level. The event is expected to finish Thursday afternoon.
