The Eastern Partnership aims to strengthen and deepen contacts and cooperation with the six Eastern European countries, according to Sweden’s Foreign Minister.

“The EaP – with EU integration at the core - is a clear expression of solidarity and long-term engagement from the EU’s side. Moreover, the EaP has helped mobilize attention to the Eastern neighborhood amongst EU’s 27 member states. With the EaP, the EU as a whole has renewed its focus on Eastern Europe and has rallied around an ambitious agenda for the countries in question. The EaP has firmly placed the Eastern partners at the top of the EU agenda,” APA quoted Carl Bildt as saying.

The minister also stressed that with the EaP, the countries in question are offered greater political and economic integration with the EU. “In return, the countries must adhere to the values that underpin the European cooperation and progress on internal reforms. The up-coming second Eastern Partnership Summit on November 29-30 in Warsaw will be a good opportunity to take stock of progress made so far, and to set new policy goals for the future,” he said.