EP offers closer ties with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Thursday, November 9
The European Parliament has initiated closer ties with Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova prior to the upcoming Eastern Partnership (EaP) summit on November 24.
The initiative includes the creation of a fund supporting the countries in coping with socioeconomic challenges.
The European Parliament said that a new report envisaging the enhancement of ties has already been adopted by the Foreign Affairs Committee and will be voted on by all members of Parliament during the November plenary session in Strasbourg.
"The main focus is on Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova, three countries which have recently achieved major progress in cooperation with the EU,” the European Parliament said.
One of the recommendations by the committee, as was mentioned, is the establishment of a trust fund for Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.
"The trust fund is a development tool for quick and flexible EU response to crisis and post-crisis situations. It would pool resources from public and private donors for investment in projects aimed at improving socioeconomic structures,” the Parliament reported.
The Committee recommended increased support for economic reforms and upgrading the current partnership as a way of rewarding progress on EU-related reforms by partner countries.
"The creation of an Eastern Partnership Plus model for associated countries with the possibility of a future membership in the customs, energy and digital union is crucial,” said Laima Andrikiene, a Lithuanian member of the European Parliament and one of the authors of the report.
These measures add to the structures and projects for cooperation and development in the region already in place by the EU.
The proposal stresses the need for pressure on Russia to resolve the territorial conflicts involving these countries.
Russia occupies 20 percent of Georgia’s land and continues its creeping occupation on Georgian soil until today.
