The Vilnius Eastern Partnership summit began today. The Croatian delegation is being led by Prime Minister Zoran Milanović and includes First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign and European Affairs Minister Vesna Pusić.
Apart from the EU member states, participating in the summit are six partner countries as well: Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Azerbaijan, which is not involved in the preparations for signing the Association Agreement and the Free trade Agreement, but was involved in the preparations for visa liberalization, Pusić said.
“Eastern Partnership is an unusually important EU policy. Though it is not about enlargement, it does represent a special relationship between the EU and the countries on its eastern border which includes visa liberalization, free trade and special status,” she explained.
Ukraine and the EU were expected to sign a trade and cooperation agreement at the Vilnius summit. However, Kiev shelved the plans last week, saying it preferred to revive close contacts with Russia. According to statements made by Ukrainian officials and representatives from other countries, Russia has mounted pressure on Ukraine over the last months, said Pusić. "The main reason why Ukraine will not sign the agreement is the Russian gas," she said.
She went on to say that the initialling of agreements with Georgia and Moldova were important.
She went on to say that the initialling of agreements with Georgia and Moldova were important, but that the key result with Ukraine has not been achieved. “However, Ukraine has not moved further away either. In the near future, the main test will be whether Ukraine will sign a customs union deal with Russia, given that such association and the process of moving closer to the EU are incompatible,” Pusić said.