“Over the past decade, the Eastern Partnership has proven itself as a very successful format for the EU’s cooperation with the Eastern Partnership countries. Currently, the Eastern Partnership is well on track – with clear objectives and deliverables to be implemented by 2020; however, a strategic approach to the future political objectives of the Eastern Partnership is needed. We want to see stable, rapidly progressing and secure EU neighbours to the East, and therefore it is time to start working on the objectives and tasks for post-2020 cooperation,” Rinkēvičs said.
The EU had to be ready to identify specific sectors in which it would be prepared to deepen its cooperation with Eastern Partnership countries, he said.
“Latvia sees the potential areas in trade and people-to-people contacts, as well as the energy, digital and telecommunication sectors,” he added, expressing hope that support from the EU would make it possible to strengthen the rule of law, media literacy and strategic communications, as well as achieving significant progress in the implementation of the justice sector, economic and public administration reforms in the Eastern Partnership countries.
