The EU and the Eastern Partnership countries will meet at a summit in Warsaw on September 29-30 at the invitation of the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Eastern Partnership Summit will be an opportunity to renew the political commitment of all participating countries to the key objectives of the Partnership, a European Council press release has said. The Summit will take stock of the achievements of the Partnership and decide on the next steps “to ensure continued progress toward deeper political association and economic integration with the European Union based on Eastern European countries’ sustainable reform effort,” the press release said. The Summit should emphasise that the Partnership “is based on common values and principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law,” the press release said, while acknowledging “the European aspiration and the European choice of some Eastern European countries.” The high level meeting would also “underline the central role of civil society in pursuing the goals of the Eastern Partnership and show the possibilities of creating new instruments such as the European Endowment for Democracy and Civil Society Facility.” EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton has said ahead of the summit that the EU “is committed to making the Warsaw Summit a success and to giving renewed momentum to building the closest possible relations with the Eastern partners and neighbours.” According to her, this year the EU aims to finalise negotiations for an Association Agreement with Ukraine including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area. She added that negotiations on Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas with Moldova and Georgia should also be launched, once they have met the necessary requirements. The EaP member states will be represented by the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, and Moldovan Prime Minister Vladimir Filat.