Delegations of 32 EU Member States and partner countries as well as representatives of the main European Union institutions debated for two days on the future of the Eastern Partnership and reviewed its achievements since it was launched two years ago.

The Warsaw meeting concluded with the adoption of a joint declaration, which sends a legible signal to the six partners: the European Union is willing to assist them and talk about their European aspirations and forms of tighter integration. The Summit participants concurred that the strengthening of the Eastern Partnership – including its more generous financing – is essential today, even though the EU is grappling with the economic crisis and has committed itself to building a new strategy for countries of the South.

‘The Eastern Partnership aims to create the necessary conditions to accelerate political association and further economic integration between the European Union and interested partner countries, recognising the economic benefits of developing trade in goods and services,’ reads the declaration adopted by Summit participants.

‘We have specified our vision of a visa-free regime for all the interested participants in the Eastern Partnership,’ Polish Premier Donald Tusk noted at a post-Summit press conference.

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, who had chaired the Summit, emphasised: ‘The partner countries remain a priority for the European Union. That is why I am very glad we have made significant progress, while setting new goals for the coming years.’

The political pledges were backed by concrete actions. European Commission President José Manuel Barroso revealed that the Partnership countries could expect increased funding: ‘The European Commission has proposed additional funds that will allow further development of the Eastern Partnership.’ Total financing of the Partnership has now reached almost €2 billion.

It is equally important that Summit participants agreed that the ongoing negotiations with Ukraine on an association agreement and a DCFTA agreement should be wrapped up by the end of the year and that similar negotiations should be started with Moldova and Georgia. The Partnership countries were promised visa-free travel to the EU, as soon as they were ready. Furthermore, an Eastern Partnership Public Administration Academy is to be established in Warsaw, to assist with the building of democratic institutions in the partner countries.

Belaruswas one of the debate’s focal points at the Warsaw Summit. The European Union underlined its tough, common stance of the issue. Assistance to Belarus would be possible only on condition of fundamental changes in that country. ‘A full amnesty and rehabilitation of persons arrested after the elections, opening of talks with the opposition and holding of parliamentary elections congruent with OSCE standards - these are the conditions for launching a “modernisation package for Belarus,’ Tusk emphasised. The new Polish government concept he unveiled was received with considerable interest by the European partners. The ‘package’ envisages the possibility of Belarus receiving grants and credits from such international institutions as the EIB and the EBRD and of support for the stabilisation of the Belarusian currency.

In a special declaration adopted at the Summit, the EU Member States reiterated their complete disapproval of the Belarusian government's policies: ‘The Heads of State and Government and representatives of the EU and its Member States express their deep concern at the deteriorating human rights, democracy and rule of law situation in Belarus, deplore the continuing deterioration of media freedom in Belarus and call for the immediate release and rehabilitation of all political prisoners, an end to the repression of civil society and media and the start of political dialogue with the opposition.’