Eastern Partnership Ministerial Meeting

The President of the European Economic and Social Committee took part in the Eastern Partnership Ministerial Meeting in Brussels on 23 May. The meeting, chaired by the High Representative, Federica Mogherini, gave participants the opportunity to discuss the EU's relations with each of the six partner countries to the east, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in areas such as political association, free trade, migration and energy. The EaP fosters the necessary conditions for accelerating political association and further integration.

For his part, Georges Dassis said that the EESC had actively fulfilled its responsibilities and initiated a constructive dialogue with representatives of the civil societies of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in the framework of the bilateral civil society platforms enshrined in the Association agreements between the EU and these states.

In conclusion, he added that what the world needed most today was mutual cooperation based on the rule of law, peace and international law and that we should be doing everything in our power to keep the peace where it reigned and to foster it where it was still fragile.