The EU Foreign Affairs Council welcomes progress in negotiations of a new framework agreement with Armenia and looks forward to consideration in due course of the possible opening of a visa dialogue. This is mentioned in the Council conclusions on the Eastern Partnership.
During a meeting on Monday, the EU Foreign Affairs Council discussed current multilateral and bilateral relations with the six Eastern Partnership countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Ministers had an exchange of views on the implementation of the Partnership and possible deliverables to be achieved in 2017, notably with a view to the next Eastern Partnership Summit in November 2017 in Brussels.
The Council calls for renewed efforts to promote the peaceful settlement of conflicts in the region on the basis of the principles and norms of international law. The resolution of conflicts, building trust and good neighbourly relations are essential to economic and social development and cooperation. The EU remains committed in its support to the territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of all its partners. The Council recalls the EU’s role in conflict resolution and confidence building efforts in support of the existing agreed formats and processes.
The Council also looks forward to the next Eastern Partnership Summit to be held in November 2017 in Brussels, and will revert to this matter before the summer. The Summit will review the results delivered by the Eastern Partnership since Riga and will discuss the way forward in further strengthening cooperation between the partner countries and the EU as well as among the partners.
The document also says that strengthening the economic and trade dimension of the Eastern Partnership will assist in the further deepening of economic integration with the EU.
The Council also reaffirmed that interconnectivity is a key area of EU engagement within the EaP. Energy interconnections, uninterrupted supply of gas and the sustainable use of energy resources, including through exploring the untapped potential of energy efficiency, play an important role in diversifying energy sources and bolstering the resilience of partner countries.
