EU and Eastern Partnership countries to expand ties with CA states

The Eastern Partnership (EaP) ministerial meeting in Brussels brought together foreign ministers of the European Union and five of the six Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine), Kazinform News Agency reports.

The Eastern Partnership is the EU project aimed at development of integration ties of the EU with separate countries of the former USSR.

Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, chaired the meeting. Olivér Várhelyi, EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, also participated in the meeting.

The meeting enabled the participants to exchange views on the Eastern Partnership,  summarize it achievements and determine concrete recommendations for the future of the policy.

The ministers discussed how the Eastern Partnership can continue meeting the needs of the member and partner countries, the key priorities of joint work in 2024 and facilitation of the implementation of the 2024 Economic and Investment Plan for the Eastern Partnership.

The EU-Eastern Partnership meeting also debated expansion of cooperation with Central Asia and Western Balkans and other regional strategies of the EU like Black Sea Synergy.

The ministers also addressed cooperation in transport, energy, environmental and digital transition, human rights, civil society, rule of law and security issues.

The ministers expressed support to the concrete plans for 2024, particularly in regional roaming, road traffic safety and transport.