The upcoming fourth eastern partnership (EaP) summit, taking place in Latvia’s capital of Riga, is just days away now.
“The aim is to facilitate a strategic debate between the EU’s 28 member states and its six eastern European partners of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine,” Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics writes in the “Parliament” magazine.
According to him, “Europe should maintain its strategic approach to the creation of a stable, prosperous and secure neighborhood as the centerpiece of its policy,” he said, adding that “the EU is ready to work constructively with all interested partners to avoid dividing lines on the continent.”
“The eastern partnership should remain a unified and consolidated policy platform for cooperation with all six partner countries. The EU is open to cooperation with any third country partners who share its vision for Eastern Europe, and it will need support in stabilizing the situation in Ukraine,” Rinkevics writes.
“The summit will express support for the six partner countries’ territorial integrity and sovereignty. It will also send a clear signal of support for the implementation of association agreements with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine,” the Latvian Foreign Minister says.
“The talks will also serve as an impetus for developing ties with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus based on their wishes and expectations. Brussels is keen to develop a new bilateral legal framework with Armenia, and is looking forward to suggestions from Azerbaijan on a political document to be developed,” Rinkevics continues.
The first EaP summit was held six years ago in Prague. Since then, we have come a long way and much has been achieved, but the vision of stability, prosperity and peace along Europe’s eastern borders remains as relevant as ever.