The Eastern Partnership Summit will take place in Brussels on 24 November. The Heads of State of the EU and six Eastern partner countries will meet to discuss how to further develop the Eastern Partnership . Rebecca Harms will attend the summit in her capacity as Co-President to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly* together with her Moldovan Co-President, Marian Lupu.
Ahead of Friday's Summit, Rebecca Harms calls on the European heads of states and governments to keep the door to EU accession open:
“Stimulated by the association agreements with the European Union, remarkable progress has been achieved by our partner countries, but we are also facing barriers. The path forward towards rule of law and democracy is neither a short nor a straightforward one. The EU has gained worthwhile experience in supporting the fight against corruption, the establishment of stable institutions and independent judiciary. It is clear that the burden of the economic transition cannot be mainly borne by ordinary people in these already poor countries. The “more for more and less for less” principle, which rewards reform efforts, is appropriate. But it will face challenges if the EU closes the door on the possibility of future accession."
"The ambitious reform processes in the Eastern Partnership countries suffer under the pressure of Putin. The annexation of Crimea and the war and occupation in Donbas, as well as the “frozen conflicts” in the other neighbouring countries, require more engagement by the EU. The correct decision against a military intervention shouldn't mean accepting Putin's aggressive policies. The EU has to step up its diplomatic efforts and not be hesitant with the sanctions. War and occupation in Europe's East must not turn into a continuous threat for all Europeans."
*The Euronest
Parliamentary Assembly is the inter-parliamentary forum in which members of the
European Parliament and the national parliaments of Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine participate. It has been created to support the
political, economic and social reforms in the partner countries through
parliamentary exchange and cooperation. Belarus is part of the Eastern
Partnership, but not yet represented by its Members of Parliament in Euronest .
