The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, announced on Monday 18 October that the foreign ministers of the Member States had agreed to work on the ‘fundamentals’ of the Eastern Partnership.
“These fundamentals are: democracy, human rights, Rule of law, anti-corruption”, he explained at the end of the Foreign Affairs Council. Mr Borrell added that the EU also wanted to work on the long-term socio-economic recovery of these countries, as well as to support partners with vaccines, vaccination certificates and the fight against disinformation.
“Ensuring resilience, recovery and supporting the reform process in the Eastern Partnership are essential”, said Romanian Minister Bogdan Aurescu on his arrival at the Council, requesting additional financial and technical support for structural reforms in the partner countries. In his view, in the future the partnership should also focus on dialogue and greater coordination on security issues. Five of the six Eastern Partnership countries have conflicts in their territory.
Furthermore, according to the draft conclusions of 18 October, the European Council of 21-22 October will discuss the preparation of the Eastern Partnership Summit of 15 December and will recall that the “EU’s relations with this region remain of key strategic importance”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)