Hundreds of political and business leaders opened a summit here Wednesday to explore possible challenges the EU will face after the May 1 expansion.

The three-day summit, drawing 20 national leaders and about 600 other delegates, will "scope out what the major challenges and opportunities" of EU enlargement by focusing on Europe's economic competitiveness as well as social and environmental issues, said World Economic Forum head Jose Maria Figueres

Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski said economic disparities between eastern and western Europe should be narrowed as soon as possible before the continent could foresee further stability.

The entry of the new members at midnight Friday "will put an end to the unnatural division of the continent that had prevailed since World War II," said Kwasniewski, whose country stands as thelargest member to join the EU on May 1.

But participants worried about how 25 countries will reach consensus on common policies when the previous 15 failed to agree on keeping to agreements to limit budget deficits to support the euro currency and other issues.

Already, most current EU members, whose people have the free right to travel, live and work across borders, have refused to allow people from the poorer new members to work freely in their nations for up to seven years.

The 10 states joining the EU are Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta and Cyprus, of which eight are former Soviet republics.

The summit is held amid heavy security as the Polish government has deployed more than 8,000 police officers in the capital.

Anti-globalization groups said about 5,000 people are expected to march Thursday in protest against the meeting which is viewed as an exclusive club for the rich.

Source: Xinhua