Leaders from Poland and the EU hailed yesterday’s European Council summit devoted to the Eastern Partnership as a success.
Yesterday’s summit inaugurating the Eastern Partnership was a success for Poland, Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski claimed Friday morning.
The Eastern Partnership project, launched at the European Council summit on Thursday, is the first all-EU initiative drafted by Poland, together with Sweden. The project enhances cooperation between the EU and six post-Soviet republics.
“This is a logical step,” outgoing Czech PM Mirek Topolanek said. "It is impossible to pretend that there is nothing east of us. There are the countries there, that have European ambitions."
Both Topolanek and the president of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso claimed the summit was successful and they have some ambitious expectations for the project.
“The Eastern Partnership will strengthen economic and political reforms, which will bring six [ex-Soviet] countries closer to the EU. It will also lead to the liberalization of visa policy,” Barroso said.
EU leaders were quick to reassure that the policy is not aimed at weakening the position of Mosocw in the region. But it also should not be considered as an alternative to EU membership, Czech President Vaclav Klaus reminded at the dinner for participants.
“We do not want to build any closed, privileged club. The EU will keep expanding,” the Czech President said.
The positive mood of the politicians was spoiled by the fact that only a few of the major European leaders came to Prague. Gordon Brown, Nicolas Sarkozy, Jose Luis Zapatero and Silvio Berlusconi decided to stay at home.
Czech Deputy PM Alexandr Vondra spoke critically of the many absentees: “It is only the matter of their responsibility. But I would prefer they came.”
The Eastern Partnership project, offers Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus closer economic and social cooperation with the EU. It plans to set a free trade zone with those countries and gives an opportunity for visa facilitation. The Eastern Partnership budget comes to 600 million euro. (jg/pg)