The Eastern Partnership programme should be continued, or even taken to the higher level; it's our duty to support Eastern Partnership member-states' EU access aspirations - said Poland's foreign minister Jacek Czaputowicz at the conference in Batumi dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership.
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The head of Polish diplomacy underscored on Thursday the role of the Eastern Partnership in maintaining stability in the member-states and said that the partnership achieved all that could have been achieved within 10 years of its existence.
"As the European Union, we must think how to convince all members that the programme (Eastern Partnership) should be continued, and even taken to the higher level - the Eastern Partnership Plus," he said.
Czaputowicz also mentioned the idea of deeper institutionalization of the Eastern Partnership and of more frequent inviting of member-states to the European Council sessions, in order to provide examples of decision-making processes in the EU. He stressed that the six countries of the partnership, representing Eastern Europe, have the right to aspire to EU membership.
"We have a moral duty to support these countries, as long as their express such wish (to enter the EU)" said the minister.
The Eastern Partnership was established in 2009 and is a part of the European Neighbourhood Policy, encompassing EU's eastern neighbours. Its aims is to strenghten political ties and economic integration between the EU and six countries: Armenia, Azerbeijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP