Brussels, 16 May 2023 (dpa/MIA) — Around 30 European heads of state and government will travel to Iceland on Tuesday for the first summit of the Council of Europe in almost 20 years.

Among those expected to attend are German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The Council of Europe, which was founded in the wake of World War II, aims to promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law and is distinct from the European Union, which is why its 46 members also include countries such as Britain, Turkey and Ukraine.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel as well as observers from the UN and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will also attend.

The meeting in Reykjavik will be the first Council of Europe summit since 2005 and only the fourth meeting of heads of state and government of its kind. The main topic at the two-day summit is expected to be the war in Ukraine.

The council's members are to discuss how Russia can be held accountable for its war against the neighbouring country. Russia was expelled from the council after launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year.