Brussels, 21/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 20 March, heads of state and government decided to speed up the signing of the association agreements with the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, so that this takes place by June at the latest. The leaders had previously called for the agreements to be signed by August 2014 at the latest. “We confirm that our goal is that the association agreements we initialled in Vilnius (during the Eastern Partnership summit) last November, which include the creation of the deep and comprehensive free trade areas, are signed by June 2014 at the latest” (our translation). They also reiterated the EU's objective of enhancing the political association and economic integration agreement with these countries. On 19 March, the Moldovan president called for the EU to speed up the signing of the agreement, while the president of the parliament in Transnistria called on the president of the Russian Duma to begin the process for returning this separatist region to Russia. (CG)