EU leaders to attend ceremony marking WWI centenary

BRUSSELS (Xinhua) - The Heads of state or government of the European Union (EU) member states during their meeting next week will commemorate the outbreak of the First World War (WWI).

The EU leaders will meet on June 26 in Ypres, a Belgian town located in the Flemish province of West Flanders, for a commemoration ceremony to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the WWI, according to the agenda unveiled by the EU.

During WWI, Ypres was the center of intense and sustained battles between German and Allied Forces. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians from all over the world lost their lives in Ypres.

The European Council's working sessions will take place on June 27 in Brussels at the usual venue.

The leaders are expected to adopt conclusions on the future of the Economic and Monetary Union based on the preparatory work carried out by the European Council's president in close consultation with the presidents of the Commission, the European Central Bank and the Eurogroup.