Eastern Partnership countries should integrate with EU says Polish FM

Poland’s foreign minister has said that Eastern Partnership countries should be offered a “European prospect.”

Speaking during a video-conference, which was held as part of Poland's presidency of the Visegrad Group, Zbigniew Rau said that the closest possible integration of Eastern Partnership countries with the European Union was in the interests of Poland and the Visegrad Group.

The group comprises Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. The video-conference was an element of preparations for an Eastern Partnership summit, to be held in Brussels in October 2021.

"We must give the Eastern Partnership an ambitious political vision with very concrete goals, to be achieved in the near and more distant future," Rau said.

"The declaration adopted by the summit should reflect the various aspirations of partners and should also offer associated countries a European prospect," Rau continued, adding that this should happen in accordance with their individual choices.

"We appreciate the strategic importance of the European Neighbourhood Policy," said Rau. "Its eastern dimension remains one of the pillars and priority directions of Poland's eastern policy."

The Eastern Partnership is a joint initiative involving the EU, its member states and six "Eastern European partners."

Rau added that keeping the Eastern partnership as one of the EU priorities would always be extremely important due to its stabilising role and promotion of economic progress in Eastern Europe.

"Being together, we invest in development, security and stability in the region," he stated.