At the Eastern Partnership Foreign Ministers Meeting in Brussels on 22 July, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius pointed out that the Vilnius Summit would crown the progress of the Eastern Partnership countries, as well as give guidance on the future of the Eastern Partnership initiative.

“We see Vilnius Summit both as the target in achieving first very concrete results of the Eastern partnership policy, but also as an important milestone in setting a longer term perspective for the Eastern Partnership. These two components will define the success not only of the Vilnius Summit, but also of the Eastern Partnership as a policy,” Linkevičius said.

According to the Foreign Minister, the need is to mobilize all efforts during the remaining time towards signing the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement (including its Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area) and initialling such agreements with Armenia, Georgia and Moldova at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius on 28-29 November, 2013. The EU has to draft these agreements and the Eastern Partnership countries should comply with political criteria and be dedicated to shared values.

“These agreements do have a huge transformative potential. They will bring concrete results for the people, but also will serve as the instruments to reform, to modernise, and to get as close to the EU as partner countries wish themselves,” the Minister said.

“But in order to offer more based on the “more for more” approach, the EU needs its partners to deliver on their part. Reforms must be sustainable and the upcoming elections should not cast any doubt on the countries’ progress,” Linkevičius explained.

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Sourse: Lithuanian Tribune