The European Union maintains a strong commitment toward the Eastern Partnership; this is even more true for the EPP, which has been one of the major actors vis-à-vis the Eastern Partnership since its launch.

During the past decade, together with our partners, we have gone through important milestones: signing the Association Agreements (including Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova); establishing visa-free regimes in Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova; concluding the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement with Armenia; deeper engagement with Belarus; increasing our economic ties; achieving progress in implementing 20 deliverables by 2020; advancing reforms; facilitating people-to-people contacts.

The Eastern Partnership has come a long way since 2009. This framework has brought our eastern neighbours closer to European standards, recognised their aspirations, and become a real power for change, democratisation, and reform.

It has been a decade since the launch of the Eastern Partnership, almost two decades since the “Rose revolution” and the “Orange revolution”, and three decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union – it is time to move forward and to discuss our enhanced cooperation beyond 2020, and to set up long-term benchmarks. In light of Russia’s aggressive policy, the rising influence of China in the region, and the security situation around our eastern borders, the EU needs to develop a clear strategy and a political vision for how to further engage with our partners.

Read the full statement here.