A meeting of Eastern Partnership countries, including Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, will be held in Brussels on December 11. This important event was announced by the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council. The meeting, chaired by EU Director General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Stefano Sannino, aims to bring together officials from the Eastern Partnership countries and their counterparts, excluding Belarus. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Olivier Varhelyi, will also attend the meeting to discuss cooperation with Ukraine and Moldova, as well as a decision on granting a visa waiver to Belarus.

The main focus of the meeting will be to exchange views on the progress of the Eastern Partnership and consider proposals for political and financial cooperation with the participating countries. Discussions will revolve around whether the Eastern Partnership can meet the needs of the member and partner countries until 2024, and further enhance strategic and investment programs. Additionally, the meeting will explore opportunities for cooperation with regional organizations such as Central Asia and the Western Balkans, as well as energy partnerships with other CIS countries, like the Black Sea Economic Cooperation.

From December 14-15, the meeting will be part of the EU Council of Ministers, where participants will discuss the start of cooperation between Ukraine and Moldova. The council will also decide on granting candidate status to the Republic of North Macedonia. However, Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary has expressed his intention to obstruct the council’s work, as he prefers military discussions instead of the Eastern Partnership cooperation with Ukraine. In response, President Emmanuel Macron of France has invited Orban to participate in a discussion on Ukraine’s EU membership, to be held within the margins of the EU.

Armenia has yet to release any news regarding this meeting.