BRUSSELS (World Bulletin)–Member states of the European Union (EU) agreed on Tuesday that Turkey and Russia would participate in the "Eastern Partnership" initiative on a project basis.
Speaking after a meeting of EU’s foreign ministers in the Belgian capital of Brussels, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said that the partnership, comprising of 6 permanent member states (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus) did not mean that Turkey and Russia would be left out.
Kouchner said that EU agreed to call on these two countries to participate in several projects to be carried out within the framework of the partnership.
The Eastern Partnership is designed to boost financial support and cooperation for its former Soviet member states, bringing them closer to the EU, politically and economically. The program’s objective is to boost political cooperation and integrate ex-soviet states into EU economy, as well as extend financial assistance to these countries and ensure energy security in the post-soviet space.