Eastern Partnership Summit opens in Riga

In several hours’ time Georgia will have a clear message of what is ahead for the country’s European perspective once the 4th Eastern Partnership (EaP) Summit opens in Riga today.

European Union (EU) leaders will meet representatives of the six EaP countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine) on May 21-22 in Riga, Latvia to discuss the further development of each country’s relationship with the EU.

The Georgian delegation, led by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, left for Riga yesterday. The PM is accompanied by Georgia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Tamar Beruchashvili and Georgia's State Minister on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration David Bakradze.

The Riga Summit is chaired by the President of the European Council Donald Tusk who, together with the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, will represent the EU. The event is being hosted by the Prime Minister of Latvia.

As well as the European perspectives of the six EaP countries, conflict resolution in the region will also be high on the agenda, both in relation to the crisis in Ukraine and other unresolved conflicts in the region.

Today Georgia's PM will meet president of the Summit host country Latvia, then he will attend a forum of the Party of European Socialists (PES) and then meet with leaders of Ukraine and Italy at the end of the day.

On May 22, PM Garibashvili will meet the leaders of France, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Greece. 

Garibashvili is also due to give a speech at the plenary session of the Riga Summit and answer questions of international media at a following press conference. 

The final declaration of the Riga EaP Summit will be signed at the plenary session on May 22.

Meanwhile yesterday - one day before the Riga Summit - European Council President Donald Tusk made a clear massage in his interview with Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty that Georgia will not receive a visa free travel regime with the EU at the upcoming EaP Summit.

He did say, however "both Ukrainian and Georgian citizens would enjoy visa free travel to the EU's passport free Schengen zone as early as next year.”

Meanwhile 98 members of European Parliament (MEPs) addressed the heads of governments of EU member states in an open letter to support the European perspective of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine at the Riga Summit.

"In particular we believe that the Riga Summit Declaration should be clear, strong and forward-looking and should concentrate, amongst other things, on further progress and high ambitions of three Associated Partners of the EU - Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine,” the statement read.

Earlier this month a joint statement was sent to EU top officials by the Georgian President, Prime Minister and Parliament Speaker.

In the May 8 letter, the Georgian leaders expressed hope that Georgia would gain a visa free regime with the EU at the EaP Summit.

A similar request was voiced by more than 400 civil society organisations from EaP countries one week ago.

The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) statement read that visa free travel to the Schengen area, which citizens of Moldova had been enjoying since April 2014, was one of the most tangible EaP achievements and should be extended to Georgia and Ukraine - the countries who signed Association Agreements with the EU last year.