On April 20 Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin took part in the Eastern Partnership Ministerial meeting in Luxembourg.

The event was dedicated to preparation to the next Eastern Partnership summit to be held in Riga on 21-22 May 2015

Speaking at the plenary session, Minister P.Klimkin presented Ukrainian vision of possible outcomes of the Riga Summit and further development of the Eastern Partnership initiative.

The head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, which have concluded an association agreement with the EU facing common tasks and challenges in the context of the implementation of these agreements and free trade zone with the EU. P.Klimkin called for a separate format of cooperation within the Eastern Partnership which would unite these three countries and take into account the new multi-speed dynamics within the initiative.

Pavlo Klimkin urged to take advantage of the ongoing review of the European Neighbourhood Policy in order to further improve the cooperation instruments of Eastern partners with the EU. The key strategic issue in this regard, on which the future success of Eastern partnership will depend, is to provide the Eastern partners with EU membership perspective, after they fulfil the necessary criteria.

Given the new geopolitical and security context in the region due to the ongoing aggression of Russia against Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin noted the need for further strengthening the cooperation with Eastern partners within the EU Common Security and Defence Policy. He noted that the EU’s major contribution in the EU stabilizing the situation in the Donbas would be launching CSDP missions in support of the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

According to P.Klimkin, among the possible concrete achievements of Riga EaP summit could be ensuring the progress of the liberalization of the visa regime and signing of the Common Aviation Area between Ukraine and the EU.