Estonia Hopes For Clear Progress in European Union’s Relations With Eastern Partners This Year

Photo: Peeter Langovits / Postimees

This year Estonia would like to see clear progress made in relations between the European Union and its Eastern Partners Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, as well as the greater political and economic integration of these countries with the European Union, Foreign Minister Paet said today at the meeting of the European Union foreign ministers in Brussels.

“Estonia supports the creation of a common economic area between the European Union and its Eastern Partners,” Paet stated. “We emphasise the need to finish up negotiations for association agreements, which include a free trade section, with Moldova, Georgia and Armenia this year,” he added.

Paet stated that Estonia would also like for the European Union’s association agreement with Ukraine to be signed at the end of November in Vilnius during the third summit of the European Union and Eastern Partners.

“Estonia feels it is essential to move towards visa freedom with all our Eastern Partners. At the same time, it is important that the development of the EU’s relations with the aforementioned countries is directly linked to the developments taking place in each country,” said Foreign Minister Paet.

The foreign minister also said that the visibility and awareness of Eastern Partnership and its programmes in partner countries should be improved. “We support working out a strategy to increase the visibility of Eastern Partnership,” he noted.