Within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), the member states of the EU met the countries of the Eastern Partnership on Friday in Brussels. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and the EU came to a joint declaration emphasising the need to tackle issues sovereignty and unresolved conflicts. They set out an action plan of 20 deliverables to be implemented by 2020, concerning areas of good governance, transport, energy security and youth employment.

The Eastern Partnership is part of the ENP, which is the framework in which the EU integrates with its neighbouring countries. Membership is not attainable, but the integration focuses on Visa liberalisation, strenghtening economic ties and empowering civil society. So far, the ENP has been critisised as it seemed to be unable to deal with the crises in Ukraine and the Arab Spring, though tangible process has been made in Ukraine and Tunisia regarding good governance and democracy promotion.

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