Launched in 2009, the Eastern Partnership (EaP) aims to strengthen and deepen political and economic relations between the EU, its Member States and six partner countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus1, Georgia2, the Republic of Moldova3 and Ukraine.
The Eastern Partnership contributes to building resilience through tailored partnerships with the EU’s eastern neighbours in coordination and synergy with other strategies and frameworks, such as the Global Gateway, the Strategic Compass, the European Union Maritime Security Strategy, the EU’s strategic approach to the Black Sea region and the EU-Central Asia Strategy.
The EaP also supports the delivery of key global policy objectives, including the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In doing so, it contributes to the overall goal of enhancing stability, prosperity, and resilience in the EU’s neighbourhood, as set out in the Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security policy.
Since its launch, the Eastern Partnership has delivered tangible benefits to the citizens of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. It has played a particularly important role in supporting Ukraine and Moldova on their paths towards European integration and continues to shape cooperation and relations across the region.
The EaP offers a distinctive framework for collaboration, fostering stronger connections between national governments, Parliaments, regional authorities, civil society organisations, businesses, universities and individual citizens.
Through initiatives such as the Global Gateway, the EaP has promoted economic growth, facilitated trade, and strengthened regional connectivity and integration. It has also advanced democratic principles, reinforced civil society, and fostered closer people-to-people ties through cultural exchanges and mobility programmes. In today’s complex geopolitical environment, the EaP’s flexible and tailored approach remains an essential instrument for enhancing the resilience of its partner countries.
Background
Over the years, the EaP has brought the EU and its partner countries closer together. The EaP Summit of November 2017 marked a new approach with the adoption of the common reform agenda entitled ‘20 Deliverables for 2020’. This ambitious work plan focused on delivering tangible results and improving citizens’ lives across four policy areas: (1) stronger economy; (2) stronger governance; (3) stronger connectivity; and (4) stronger society – together with targets for the cross-cutting issues of gender, civil society, media and strategic communication.
Work on a successor agenda began in 2019 through a broad and inclusive consultation . The resulting Joint Communication: Eastern Partnership policy beyond 2020: Reinforcing Resilience – an Eastern Partnership that delivers for all and Council Conclusions on the Eastern Partnership policy beyond 2020 established a renewed framework centred on resilience and structured around five long-term policy objectives. These priorities were endorsed at the EaP Leaders’ video conference in June 2020.
The EaP agenda beyond 2020 was further outlined in the Joint Staff Working Document: Recovery, Resilience and Reform: post-2020 Eastern Partnership priorities adopted in July 2021.
In March 2025, the Eastern Partnership Senior Officials’ Meeting reaffirmed strong support for the EaP and set priorities for continued cooperation. Participants confirmed support for Ukraine and Moldova’s EU accession paths and underlined the importance of resilience, connectivity and regional stability.
The next Eastern Partnership Senior Officials’ Meeting will take place on 19 March 2026.
[1] In June 2021, Belarus suspended its participation in the Eastern Partnership and the readmission agreement with the EU. Belarusian civil society continues to be active in the Eastern Partnership.
[2] In response to political developments in Georgia, and European Council conclusions on Georgia of June and October 2024, the European Commission scaled down political contacts with Georgian authorities and suspended assistance directly benefiting them. Cooperation with civil society, including within the EaP framework, continues.
[3] Hereinafter referred as “Moldova”.
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