Eastern Partnership Summit takes place in Brussels

Today, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and President of the European Council, Charles Michel, will meet in Brussels with the leaders of EU Member States and Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine for the sixth Eastern Partnership Summit. It will confirm the importance of the Eastern Partnership and provide a strategic outlook for a closer cooperation between the EU and its Eastern partners. The Summit also represents an important occasion to signal solidarity between the EU and the region, including the health and socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders are expected to discuss a renewed agenda for the Eastern Partnership, focused on recovery, resilience and reform, which will help increase partner countries' resilience and their ability to withstand current and future challenges. It will be underpinned by a €2.3 billion Economic and Investment plan in grants, blending and guarantees, with a potential to mobilise up to €17 billion in public and private investments, to stimulate jobs, growth and bring prosperity to the region. The Summit will also be attended by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell. A press conference, in which President von der Leyen will participate, is foreseen for 22:00 CET. Follow it live on EbS. More information on the Summit is available here and here.