Senior official Neculaescu attends EaP COVID-19 pandemic meeting

Senior strategic affairs official with Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE) Dan Neculaescu participated on Thursday in a virtual ministerial meeting on the Eastern Partnership (EaP) that focused on EU support measures amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the current challenges in terms of misinformation. In a press statement released on Friday, MAE says the meeting, organised at the initiative of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell was also a good opportunity for an exchange of views between EU member states and partner countries on the objectives of the future Eastern Partnership Agenda post-2020, as the current one expires at the end of 2020. Neculaescu is quoted as underlining at the meeting the need to promote a strategic vision for the EaP, including reaffirming the EU's interest in furthering the reform agenda in the region, through a more ambitious approach of security co-operation and the possibility of developing specific formats for European integration for the most advanced partner states, based on the principles of conditionality and differentiation. Part of the conversation on the EU support to the Eastern Neighbourhood partners to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the European Commission having unveiled in March a substantial financial package for the six EaP countries totalling approximately 963 million euros, Neculaescu welcomed rapid mobilisation of the necessary funds and assistance, highlighting Romania's substantial contribution through humanitarian assistance provided to Moldova and Ukraine. Neculaescu also underlined the importance of continuing efforts to consolidate the resilience of the Eastern Partnership countries. A structured process of consultations on the future EaP was launched in July 2019, including as a result of the efforts under the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council (January-June 2019), being completed at the end of 2019, according to MAE. The conclusions were presented in a joint communication of the European Commission and EEAS of March 18 proposing an approach focused on strengthening the resilience of Eastern partners, sustainable economic development and achieving concrete results for the citizens of the region. AGERPRES (RO - author: Oana Ghita, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN- author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Rodica State)