Truss to attend European political summit in Prague -source

British Prime Minister Liz Truss will attend the first summit of the European Political Community in the Czech Republic next week, a government source said on Thursday.

French President Emmanuel Macron first proposed the idea of a European Political Community in an effort to counter Russian and Chinese influence in the Balkans and Eastern Europe.

Politico, which first reported Truss's attendance at the summit, said the meeting will focus on the Ukraine conflict and energy security.

Britain told European partners that Truss is not only willing to attend the gathering, but also that she is willing to host the next summit in London, Politico reported, citing two officials from a meeting on Thursday.

The idea behind the European Political Community was to ensure countries like Britain, Norway and Switzerland have a political forum to collaborate with the European Union and work on common projects, such as immigration or energy.

Some countries, however, have expressed scepticism, fearing the new forum could be a way to keep candidates to EU membership outside the club, while others have criticised a new talking shop without a clear purpose.