London, Mar 19 (AP) Britain will hold the next meeting of the European Political Community on July 18, the government announced on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will host leaders from about 50 countries at Blenheim Palace, an 18th-century country mansion northwest of London that was the birthplace of wartime leader Winston Churchill.

Also Read | FGM Ban in Gambia: Gambian Parliament Votes To Reverse Its Landmark Ban on Female Genital Mutilation.

Sunak said that the gathering was “an important forum for cooperation across the whole of Europe on the issues that are affecting us all, threatening our security and prosperity.” He said the agenda would include support for Ukraine and “stopping the scourge of people smuggling and illegal migration.”

The meeting will be the fourth for the European Political Community, brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron. It was established in 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine shattered Europe's sense of security. Previous summits have been in Czech capital Prague; Chisinau, Moldova; and Granada, Spain.

Also Read | Bribery Charges Against Adani Group in US: Adani Green Says Corruption Probe on Unrelated Third Party; Has No Relations With Company.

The forum gives Britain the chance to join a Europe-wide political gathering despite its departure from the European Union in 2020.

Sunak's delay in naming a date for the gathering had fueled speculation that he planned to call a spring or summer election. He has to call a national vote in 2024, but has said it's likely to be in the second half of the year. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)