The role of EaP stakeholders, one of which being CSF, should be strengthened according to the Commissioner Füle

Štefan Füle Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy in his closing remarks at the Eastern Partnership Ministerial Meeting on the 22^nd of July in Brussels underlined the important role of EaP stakeholders, including the Civil Society Forum, in the EaP and shared his expectation that this role needs to be further strengthened. He strongly encouraged greater interaction between the stakeholders and EaP partners' governments.

Commissioner Füle emphasized that expectations for the Vilnius summit should be realistic. He underlined the significance of an inclusive process of negotiations of the Summit Declaration and preparations for the Summit itself.

The Commissioner shared that the EU “will not force upon partners the dilemma of having to choose between relations with the East and relations with the West” and underlined the importance of communication with society which is pivotal in dispelling false claims and providing the necessary information. He mentioned that the EU will provide technical expertise and financial assistance to address the situation.

When talking about post-Vilnius, he underlined the importance of implementation of the new Agreements and the midterm strategic goals under the guidance of the Association Agendas.

The full speech can be found here.

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