Prague to host Eastern Partnership summit May 7
(PRAGUE) - Prague will host a summit to launch the Eastern Partnership project for six non-EU former Soviet Bloc nations on May 7, the Czech presidency of the European Union said Monday.
The Eastern Partnership, a priority for Czech presidency that ends June 30, is designed to boost the European Union's relations with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
Alexandr Vondra, Czech deputy prime minister for European affairs, said Monday that with none of the six ready for EU membership, the initiative should act as a bridge to the day when accession talks can begin.
He also said the Czech EU presidency would decide at the last minute whether to Belarus's authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko, adding it was important to motivate Belarus to take positive steps.
"Up to now this European policy (vis a vis Belarus) has brought partial results, but we are far from saying the situation there has improved dramatically," Vondra said.
The summit will probably be the EU presidency swansong for the current Czech government of Mirek Topolanek, toppled midway through the presidency last month, before it is replaced by a temporary government on May 9.
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