Brussels, 14/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - The foreign ministers of the 33 Eastern Partnership partner countries - the 27 EU member states along with Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaijan - looked back with satisfaction on what had been achieved by this initiative which was launched in May 2009, while identifying areas where more would have to be done in future. At a meeting in Brussels on 13 December, chaired jointly by Catherine Ashton and Stefan Füle, the Eastern Partnership ministers welcomed the considerable progress made in bilateral relations with the EU. Five of the six countries are, indeed, in the process of negotiating association agreements with the EU. A statement issued after the meeting spoke also of “areas where more could be done”, including improving sectoral cooperation, facilitating the involvement of the partners in EU programmes, strengthening cooperation in conflict prevention and resolution, and consolidating the role of civil society. Particular attention should be given to facilitating mobility among certain categories of people, such as students, researchers, academics and business people, the ministers stated. The future of the Eastern Partnership will be debated at a summit of heads of state and government which the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers is planning in Budapest in May 2011. The next ministerial meeting of the countries of the Eastern Partnership is scheduled to take place in the second half of 2011, under the Polish Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers. (H.B./transl.rt)