The European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, presented, on Friday 2 July, a working document setting out the priorities for future cooperation with the Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine).
This document or programme, based on five strategic priorities adopted in 2020 (see EUROPE 12449/23), is accompanied by an economic and investment plan with a budget of 2.3 billion euros in the form of grants, mixed financing and public guarantees. Such a package could mobilize up to 17 billion euros of public and private investment for the region, according to the Commission.
Ten priority targets to be achieved by 2025 are identified, including additional support for 500,000 SMEs, the construction or upgrading to EU standards of 3,000 kilometres of priority roads and railways, a reduction of at least 20% in the energy consumption of 250,000 households, and the reinforcement of broadband internet access for 80% of households.
In line with the wishes of civil society in the countries concerned, the focus is also on governance, including respect for the Rule of law, the fight against corruption and organised crime, independent media and the democratic functioning of institutions.
This programme includes Belarus, even as the Lukashenko regime has decided to withdraw from the Eastern Partnership (see EUROPE 12751/24) in response to additional EU sanctions against it at the end of June.
“The economic and investment plan includes country-specific flagship initiatives for all Eastern partners, including support for a future democratic Belarus. Our offer of comprehensive support to the country in the event of a democratic transition remains firm and valid”, said the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, in a statement.
See the working document: https://bit.ly/3hwFbde
See the strategic priorities of the Eastern Partnership post-2020: https://bit.ly/3jG1UGv (Orginal version in French by Mathieu Bion)