The first summit between European Union countries and countries of the Eastern Partnership since Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine signed association agreements, took place in Riga, Latvia.

The summit confirmed the commitment made by the Union to cooperate with eastern partners. At the end of the summit all participants adopted a joint declaration as a whole.

“Almost all of us agreed that it was important for the European Union to preserve unity. Much was said about the fact that cooperation with countries of the Eastern Partnership must be based on free choice and that it is under no circumstances directed against any country,” said the President of the Slovak Republic, Andrej Kiska, after the summit.

On behalf of Slovakia, Kiska expressed the conviction that countries which are interested in joining the European Union, like Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, should be given the same chance as Slovakia a few years ago.

“A vision of possible membership in the European Union is extremely important in terms of enforcing reforms,” emphasized the President. “Slovakia fully supports the expansion of the European Union.”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Miroslav Lajčák, called the summit purifying. “We know where we stand. The Eastern Partnership will now not be about some bombastic news, but about very solid cooperation in many areas which will move us forward.”