At the C8 summit, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the leaders of Poland and Serbia.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported on the results of the talks on 18 September.

At the meeting with Donald Tusk, the two sides focused above all on preserving unity between Ukraine and Poland and on continued joint work aimed at ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also thanked Poland for a new assistance package for Ukraine, without specifying its contents in his statement.

“Ukraine and Poland are strong neighbours, friends and partners, and we share one common enemy,” the President of Ukraine said.

The Carpathian initiative was a separate topic of discussion. According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine is ready to share its experience with Poland and to develop cooperation that will create practical opportunities for the countries of the Carpathian macro-region.

The meeting with Aleksandar Vučić focused on agreements reached earlier during Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Belgrade, as well as on the European integration of Ukraine and Serbia and Russia’s strikes on Ukraine.

The President of Ukraine thanked Serbia for joining the Carpathian format and said he intended to continue the bilateral dialogue.

“It is important to develop it so that every state in the region finds the economic and security opportunities it needs,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The Carpathian summit on 18 September was the first meeting in the C8 format, the Carpathian Eight. According to the official description, the new format is intended to bring together the states of the Carpathian macro-region and neighbouring countries around cooperation on security, energy, logistics, the cross-border economy and support for communities.

As part of the summit, the leaders are also taking part in the first Carpathian Business Forum. According to the President of Ukraine, the Carpathian initiative should become a dedicated platform for closer coordination among the countries of the region, including at European Union level.