Lithuanian MEP of the Renew Europe group Petras Austrevicius said that next year, when the Eastern Partnership is to be reviewed, the European Union should give the EaP member states clear accession prospects, IPN reports.

“The Eastern Partnership is one of the most successful initiatives of the EU. If we remember how the situation was in this part of Europe in 2009, in contrast to 2019, we will see the force of this project. Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova, at least, did all-inclusive reforms and changed extraordinarily. That’s why we want to have more instruments and increased commitment on the part of the EU so as to treat these countries as real partners,” Petras Austrevicius stated in an interview for RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service.

According to him, the EU should be an open project. “We should be open until accession. If these countries do reforms, the promises should be kept. That’s why those that have association agreements should gain access to the EU’s large projects: the domestic market, climate change, etc. The Eastern neighborhood can be different if we are serious and look at these countries as at equal partners,” stated the MEP.

The Eastern Partnership is a joint policy initiative which aims to deepen and strengthen economic and political relations between the European Union, its Member States and its six Eastern neighbours: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.