Politics
10:02, 25-Nov-2017
EU and six Eastern partners to deepen cooperation
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It lacked perhaps the punch of previous editions, but on Friday in Brussels the EU and the six nations who make up the Eastern Partnership decided to move forward in their cooperation.
A fresh undertaking was signed to renew efforts to create stronger economies, governance, connectivity and society across Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine under the "20 Deliverables for 2020" policy framework first identified at the Riga summit in 2015.
An enhanced partnership agreement with Armenia was finally inked on Friday. In 2013 they scuppered the deal at the final hour due to reported pressure from Russia.
A new framework with Azerbaijan was put in the pipeline with the EU also seeking to improve relations with Belarus. The EU already has association agreements with Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia that cover areas such as trade and visa-free travel.
The EU reaffirmed its commitment to support the territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of all its partners. European Council President Donald Tusk highlighted the ongoing Eastern Ukraine conflict and reiterated that the EU would never recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea.
The next Eastern Partnership summit is scheduled for 2019.
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