The Road to Riga

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On May 21-22 2015, the heads of states of the European Union will come together with the heads of state of the Eastern Partnership states. This is the first summit since Ukraine’s EuroMaidan Revolution, the unrest in Donbas, the launch of Russia’s Eurasian Economic Union as well as European sanctions against Russia.

New Eastern Europe is providing exclusive coverage ahead, during and after the summit with opinions and analysis on what we can realistically expect to happen during the Riga Summit and what is next for the Eastern Partnership – the key question that will emerge.

Civil Society Conference Participants Call for a Braver Stand for a Democratic and Free Ukraine

 Russia intervenes in other countries domestic processes by abusing the freedoms of democracy established by states, and gaining its objectives through manipulation; civil society has a crucial role in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries move towards membership in the European Union (EU); the challenge for the EaP countries today lays in securing their territorial integrity, as was voiced at the EU EaP Civil Society Conference.

2015 Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Live

A live stream of the event

As a key partner of the 2015 Eastern Partnership Forum, New Eastern Europe is proud to offer our readers a live stream of the event. 

Eastern Partnership: From Association to Mobility

Interview with Konrad Pawlik, Undersecretary of State for Eastern Policy, Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

“We appreciate Belarus’s engagement in the de-escalation process in Ukraine. But we should not over-evaluate the role of Minsk in this process. It should not be the only argument for any shifts in policy towards Minsk.”

A Critical Summit

An op-ed by Tamar Beruchashvili, Georgia’s minister of foreign affairs

“Those who doubt the value and success of the Eastern Partnership Initiative have only to look at Georgia to stand corrected. While we benefit from the overwhelming consensus in our country in favour of democratic reforms and European integration, the Eastern Partnership Initiative has provided the concrete framework for the realisation of this vision.”

The Unheard Voices on the Eve of the Riga Summit

Diāna Potjomkina

In Latvia we are very concerned about being heard. As a small nation we have fought extensively for our independence, our “freedom from” and our “rights to” and we understand what defending one’s interests through adversity means. This is also why the Ukraine crisis brought up mixed emotions: nobody was happy about the aggression of the big neighbour, but it was also a proof to our western allies that our ever cautious approach to Russia has been justified.

Reconfirming Europe’s Commitment to the East

Interview with Juris Poikāns, Ambassador-at-Large for the Eastern Partnership at the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

“I think it is our efforts to fulfil the initial vision of the EU for providing security, prosperity and stability in Europe’s East, which clearly is a long-term vision. As a matter of fact, with the EaP policy having been introduced in 2008, the Riga Summit takes place somewhere between the short- and long-term. This, I would say, is a very important moment in the overall strategy of the EU towards its Eastern neighbours.”