It was a night of celebration on the eve of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union on Thursday, with artists putting on performances at Old Town Square in Prague.

The Czech Republic took over from France the rotating sixmonth presidency of the EU yesterday, as all eyes remain on Ukraine, which has been battling Russian forces since February.

The Central European country of 10.5 million people, an EU member since 2004, has vowed to focus largely on aid to Ukraine and the war’s repercussions, as well as launch a post-war reconstruction effort.

It also aims to help contain the refugee crisis and boost the 27-member bloc’s energy security, defence capacities and the resilience of its economies and democratic institutions.

An informal EU summit has been planned for October, and will be held in the Czech capital.

AGENCE FRANCE–PRESSE, XINHUA