The meeting of EU Affairs Committees of Visegrad member states accomplished. The participants expressed their concern to increased pressure by Russia to EaP states and noted that EU must try its best to even-out this pressure. EU must increase funding EaP partners and attempt its maximum to fully develop EaP project. It was as well noted that signing the Association Agreement with Ukraine is important inasmuch as it is one of the main keys to EaP and direct geographical neighbor to EU. As to Georgia, despite the territorial integrity problems and that it is not EU neighbor, Visegrad states are glad that Georgia tries its best for EU integration, that Georgian Parliament is enhanced and is particularly active in EU integration process. Visegrad states support Georgia for initialing of Agreement on Vilnius Summit. It was noted that all Soviet states must become EU members. The participants noted that V4 opinions and approaches must necessarily be delivered to other EU states. The document was adopted, reflecting high support by Visegrad states for strengthening of EaP initiative and finalization of EU project. It is provided: the representatives of EU Affairs Committees of Visegrad Group states hereby conclude: towards partnership initiative: “the next phase of the process shall be prospect of timely integration of EaP states to EU”, “European Commission and European Foreign Service shall be encouraged to be more active in approaching the EaP objectives”, “express support to the ambitious plan of signing the Association Agreement and DCFTA with Ukraine on Vilnius November Summit. They attach particular importance to signing the similar agreements with Armenia, Georgia and Moldova. They express support for enhancing talks with Azerbaijan on Association Agreement”. See the full document, adopted at the meeting of EU Affairs Committees of Visegrad Group States in English:

Gdansk, 9 September, 2013

CONCLUSION
Of the Meeting of the European Affairs Committees of the V4 Parliaments with the Participation of Representatives of the Georgian European Integration Committee
Gdansk, 8-10 September 2013
Representatives of the European Affairs Committees of the V4 Parliaments:

With regard to the Eastern Partnership
-recall the main goal of the Eastern Partnership, which is to bring the Eastern European Countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) closer to the European Union through political association, economic integration and increased mobility, thus reinforcing the stability and prosperity on the European continent. The next stage in this process should be the perspective of membership of these countries in the EU in due time;
-note that the Eastern Partnership has proved to be an efficient tool helping the Eastern partners to reform their states in order to achieve deep and lasting democracy;
-emphasize the need to ensure adequate funding of the Eastern Partnership under the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020, taking into account the “more for more” principles, which will also be applied within the framework of the new European Neighborhood instrument;
-express their support for the ambitious plan of signing an association agreement with Ukraine, including and agreement on a deep and comprehensive free trade area, during the November summit of the Eastern Partnership in Vilnius. They also emphasis their support for initialing analogous agreements with Armenia, Georgia and Moldova at the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius. They express their support for intensifying negotiations on the association agreement with Azerbaijan.
-welcome with appreciation the progress of the visa liberalization process and express their hope for a prompt introduction of a visa-free regime with Moldova and then, consistently, with other Partnership countries;
-emphasize the need for further development of the Dialogue on Modernization with Belarus;
-encourage the European Commission and the European External Action Service to take more ambitious action to achieve the Eastern Partnership goals and further development of programs related to people-to-people contacts and youth exchange.
-underline a necessity to promote the European citizens’ initiative as a tool of citizens’ active participation in the EU decision making process and an important step towards European civil society.