The Eastern Partnership Summit of European People's Party (EPP) leaders, which took place in Batumi, Georgia, issued a declaration on how to strengthen the Eastern Partnership (EaP) process.

The President of the EPP, Wilfried Martens - who hosted the Summit that featured President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia, Prime Minister Vlad Filat of Moldova, Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Giorgi Baramidze of Georgia, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Iurie Leanca of Moldova, Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduard Nalbandyan of Armenia, and Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan of Armenia - welcomed the positive results of the meeting:

"This first EPP EaP Summit meeting was very successful since it has created significant momentum in strengthening the political dimension of this process. Specifically, the 'Batumi declaration' of EaP EPP leaders calls for: a) EaP to offer a clear perspective for EU-membership to the Eastern Partners who are willing and acting accordingly, b) EU and the Eastern Partners to rapidly launch new concrete initiatives in the framework of the Eastern Partnership to develop its content, and c) EPP to be a major actor of this renewed interest and dynamics of the Eastern Partnership," Martens stated.

"I sincerely hope that the concrete political commitments made in Batumi by our EPP EaP leaders will be matched by reciprocal commitments from the EU institutions," the EPP President added.

The next Summit will be held in Yerevan by the end of 2012 and a subsequent one in Batumi in July 2013.