Moldova

EU suspends the Eastern Partnership Program, Swedish PM said

July 03, 2009

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The European Union is suspending the Eastern Partnership Program “due to new challenges”, the EU Chairman-in-Office, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has announced.

Reinfeldt said the step had been taken in connection with EU’s difficulties.

“Europe has faced serious financial crisis and we should take necessary steps to escape the crisis. Now our main task is to escape crisis. Moreover, the climate change problem is not less important. We can not lose time and should solve these problems by December,” he said.

Sweden is one of the chief organizers of the Eastern Partnership, which was blessed by the European Union in 2008 and launched solemnly at a EU Summit in May 2009 following its signature by Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, Moldova, Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Union’s Commissioner for External Relations and the European Neighbourhood Policy, said then the Eastern Partnership was offering the countries concerned a fantastic chance to develop and prepare for accession to the European Union. In her words, the program envisaged provision of 600 million euros to its participants until 2013.

Infotag