Burgertop paralel aan EU-top met landen Oostelijk partnerschap: vrij reizen en democratie centraal (en)

On 27 November, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius, at the opening of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society conference, stressed that Lithuania has consistently and actively supported that the countries participating in the Eastern Partnership program reach their goals in Vilnius.

"The Eastern Partnership offers the opportunity to get closer to the EU. It is a set of standards and a way of life. Foremost, it opens up opportunities for people: freedom to travel , trade , study, certainty regarding their rights and the strength of the state," said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius as he congratulated 300 participants from the European Union and Eastern Partnership countries.

According to the minister, this event is important not only because the Eastern Partnership is one of the priorities of Lithuania's Presidency, but also due to the fact that this is the EU Year of Citizens. For the Eastern Partnership countries, getting closer to the EU means the choice of direction of their state - therefore society involvement is a principal factor."

“The EU Eastern Partnership Summit is not only for the signing of agreements to bring the partners to the free trade and visa-free regime with the EU, as most important is to agree on the future of this program and the continuity of reforms,“ stressed Mr. Linkevičius.

Participants of the Conference “Eastern Partnership Estimates: Policy Challenges and the Future Agenda for Civil Society“ will mainly focus on the future of the Eastern Partnership, and will evaluate the progress of this EU initiative over the last four years. Civil society leaders from EU member states and the Eastern partner countries, members of non-governmental organizations, research centres, and prominent political and public figures will discuss the role of civil societies in countries of the Eastern Partnership, which are the engines of major internal reforms.

This two-day Eastern Partnership conference started a marathon of events in Vilnius. On Thursday, the 3rd EU Eastern Partnership Summit begins, as well as the Eastern Partnership Business Forum where the promotion of business relations between the EU and its Eastern partners will be discussed. On 27-28 November, Parliament hosts the conference: "Parliaments for Democracy: Towards More Ambitious Global Cooperation."

Approximately 1,500 participants and journalists will attend the Eastern Partnership events.