On Friday, Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, had a Telephone Talk with Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament
The Parties discussed the issues connected with the commencement of work of EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly.
D.Tusk, Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, announced the initiative on enhancement of relations between the European Union and eastern neighbouring countries at the meeting of the Council of Europe in March 2008. On May 26, 2008 the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland and the Kingdom of Sweden submitted a common positional act regarding Eastern Partnership concept to the foreign services of the EU Member States.
The Member States supported Polish-Swedish motions at the meeting of the Council of Europe on June 20, 2008. On December 3, 2008 the Council presented the Eastern Partnership Communication to implement the said motions.
For reference: Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are partners of the Eastern Partnership. Third parties may be attracted to the implementation of separate projects of the Eastern Partnership.
The following statements can be singled out from the Eastern Partnership Communication:
- new contractual frame for a stronger engagement, superseding the current Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (item 3.1);
- a Comprehensive Institution-Building programme (CIB) for improving administrative capacity in all relevant sectors of cooperation (item 3.1 );
- establishing a deep and comprehensive free trade area as soon as the partner country is
sufficiently advanced in its preparation to negotiate, implement and sustain the effects of a far-reaching liberalisation (items 3.2 and 4.2);
- visa facilitation agreements with prospective visa-free travel once visa facilitation and readmission agreements are effectively implemented (item 3.3);
- strengthening of the energy security of the EU and of the partners with regard to long-term energy supply and transit, taking account of the Second Strategic Energy Review (item 3.4);
- economic convergence with the EU (item 3.5);
- multilateral EaP framework at four levels, meetings of EaP Heads of State or Government every two years, annual spring meetings of Ministers of Foreign Affairs from the EU and from the Eastern partners (items 4.1 and 4.2).
The EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly in the framework of the Eastern Partnership shall complement the effective ways of parliamentary cooperation, strengthening the relations between Ukraine and the EU.