About the Eastern Partnership Programme

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stated recently that the Eastern Partnership Programme is not designed to provide financial support for the participant countries. Poland was the initiator of this programme, but it has shrunk due to the financial crisis and currently financial support of participant countries is undertaken by different international institutions and programmes.

The major target of the programme is to bring participant countries closer to EU standards. The EU is planning to spend around Euro 1. 6 billion for the realisation of this programme. However the support of the various participating countries depends not on the state of the economic crisis but their own performance. These countries should therefore take care that they use the assistance provided by the EU and different international institutions effectively.