GERMANY BACKS POLAND’S PLAN TO ENHANCE EU RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN AND GEORGIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.06.2008 17:58 GMT+04:00

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has backed Poland’s plan to enhance
EU relations with five eastern European states, putting the Eastern
Partnership scheme on track for formal agreement at this week’s
EU summit.

"We will all benefit from closer cooperation with our eastern neighbors
within the ENP," she said.

"On Friday (20 June), we will ask the European Commission for concrete
proposals so that this initiative does not give rise to mere titles,
but to concrete projects," the chancellor said during a trip to Gdansk
on Monday.

"I received unequivocal backing for this from the chancellor," Polish
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, after getting similar endorsements
from the leaders of Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia earlier
the same day.

The Eastern Partnership will be a new multilateral forum between the EU
and Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, forging closer
economic and political links and leading to visa-free travel deals.,
the EUObserver reports.

The initiative was also supported by Luxemburg and Denmark.