The leaders of EU Associated Trio – Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova – said on December 15, in the aftermath of the Eastern Partnership Summit, that “we reiterated our determination backed by the strong will of our peoples to work towards joining the European Union.”
In their joint statement, Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Moldovan President Maia Sandu called on the European Union “to support the sovereign choice of our states together with all the relevant steps taken by us vis-à-vis European integration and acknowledge the European perspective” of the three nations.
The three leaders said at the Summit they recalled that according to the Treaty on European Union any European state subscribing to its values “may apply to become a member of the European Union.”
The joint document further stressed commitment to the further strategic development of the EaP in line with the principles of differentiation and inclusivity, seeking to also strengthen the political association and economic integration with the EU, including by advancing the rule of law and relevant reforms.
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- European Council, Commission Presidents Talk Eastern Partnership
The EU-associated Trio expressed hopes to extend sectoral integration with the EU, including in the areas of green and digital transitions, connectivity, energy security, justice, and home affairs, strategic communication, and healthcare, as elaborated in the Summit Declaration.
The countries also underlined their interests in integrating into the EU Digital Single Market and noted the need of enhancing connectivity and transport links between the EU and the Associated Trio.
Tbilisi, Kyiv, and Chișinău stressed that Russia’s illegal occupation of Georgian regions, its aggression in eastern Ukraine, and the annexation of Crimea, as well as the unresolved conflict in Transnistria, “pose a serious threat to the region and Europe as a whole.”
Condemning Moscow’s “clear violation” of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the EaP states, including by incitement and support of conflicts, use of disinformation and cyberattacks, and human rights violations, the three countries noted made the case for further enhancing resilience and cooperation in the area of Common Security and Defense Policy and Common Foreign and Security Policy with Brussels.
Also Read:
- July 2021: Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova Sign Declaration on EU Integration
- May 2021: Georgian, Ukrainian, Moldovan FMs Establish ‘Associated Trio’ Format
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