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EU Eastern Partnership more important than ever: Merkel

Xinhua, May 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday stressed the importance of the European Union's (EU) partnership with countries in Eastern Europe.

She made the remarks ahead of a two-day EU summit with six former Soviet states in Latvia's capital Riga.

In her address to the German parliament on Thursday morning, Merkel said "the idea of the Eastern Partnership is more important than ever" in the light of completely different circumstances in Europe, including destabilization in eastern Ukraine and the challenged European peace order.

The chancellor said concrete progress has been achieved in cooperation between the two sides since the last Eastern Partnership summit in Lithuania, mentioning in particular association agreements with Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.

Further support would be provided to eastern European neighbors on their way to realizing democracy and the rule of law, she added.

Speaking on Germany's stance on the Eastern Partnership, Merkel said the EU's policy towards Eastern Europe "is not directed against anyone, especially not against Russia."

The chancellor also pointed out that "the Eastern Partnership is not an instrument of the EU's enlargement policy," noting "we should not foster expectations which cannot not be met later." Endit