"The Eastern Partnership region requires our attention and a clearer approach from the EU. Currently, there are many important challenges that need to be addressed urgently. The pandemic is accompanied by current events in the region, which are not always positive - the situation with democracy in Belarus, growing militarization of Russia in Ukraine, challenges to the maturity of democracy in Georgia, however, recent developments are promising, the elections in Moldova and the biggest recent tragedy, the war between neighboring countries - Azerbaijan and Armenia”, - Andrius Kubilius stated congratulating the Georgian political community on the end of the political crisis.

"I would like to congratulate the Georgian political community on ending the crisis. They managed to support Charles Michel’s document and end the current political and, arguably, democratic crisis. I would also like to congratulate Charles Michel who has worked so hard for this. I think Europe needs to move from a style of "concern" to a style of Charles Michel. I hope Charles Michel will employ this leadership style inside the EU as well, it will also be very useful for Belarus. Concerns alone are not enough, the EU must show the appropriate leadership to overcome crises. It is necessary to realize that together we are stronger”, - the Co-President stated and noted that the Eastern Partnership issue is one of the most important elements within Euronest.

"I see opportunities to offer more to ambitious countries. It is important for the EU to make more specific proposals and work on specific ideas, such as sectoral integration, the EU's "Four Freedoms". All this requires a kind of road map. Georgia and Ukraine have an action plan for NATO membership. I think it is important to develop a similar approach in terms of the EU”, - Andrius Kubilius added.

Maka Bochorishvili, Co-Chair of the Euronest PA, delivered a speech at the opening of the session.

"Over the past year, the pandemic has posed many challenges. We have to hold the planned events virtually. Today, instead of meeting in Brussels, we are meeting online and discussing Eastern Partnership issues”, - Maka Bochorishvili delivered.

According to her, ten years have passed since the first session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. The speaker expanded on the successes and challenges achieved during this period.

"We have achieved a lot over the years, but we have also experienced numerous challenges. Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine have signed Association Agreements with the European Union, including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area. We have also achieved a visa-free regime with the EU, which has taken relations to a new level. The three countries committed themselves for political association and economic integration. Moreover, Georgia has already declared its ambitious plan to file a formal application for full membership in the European Union in 2024”, - the Co-Chair of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly remarked noting that the Eastern Partnership summit scheduled for autumn will determine the future of this format and this is a very important stage for both the EU and the partner countries.

"A decade later, the Eastern Partnership format needs a comprehensive approach that develops future plans based on the results achieved so far. Against the background of the challenges in the region, I am convinced that the new goals of the Eastern Partnership format should be well adapted to the existing reality. Today we are fighting an unprecedented crisis. The coronavirus pandemic has proven that the only way is through solidarity and cooperation. It is necessary to stand together against this challenge and fight its consequences”, - M. Bochorishvili delivered.

As she elucidated, the security remained one of the most important challenges both in the EU and in its partner countries.

"The Russian Federation continues to grossly violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and Ukraine and disregards the norms of international law. We are witnessing intense militarization and gross human rights violations. Increasing provocation and the use of hybrid warfare tools threaten security and the humanitarian situation in the region”, - Maka Bochorishvili stated.

Pursuant to her, in responding to these challenges, it is important for the Eastern Partnership to be flexible and use a differentiated approach to make it effective and successful - "The Eastern Partnership format should pave the way for new opportunities for cooperation and move to a new stage of political dialogue, economic and sectoral integration in response to the ambitions of each partner. In this regard, we hope that the renewed Eastern Partnership policy will be far-sighted, long-term and inclusive and based on the principle of differentiation”.

In the opening part of the session, the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, Archil Talakvadze delivered a speech - "Yesterday we, Georgian politicians, signed the document proposed by the President of the European Council and next week, the Parliament will be presented as elected by our citizens - it will help address the political process with real challenges and provide active political debate and discussion instead of confrontation. Georgia continues to strengthen its democracy”.

According to him, this will help Georgia to make more progress on the path of European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

Archil Talakvadze dwelt on the occupation, saying that the Russian Federation continues to occupy the territories of Georgia, which is manifested in serious human rights violations in the occupied regions and the dire humanitarian and socio-economic situation.

The Speaker also stressed the issue of Ukraine at the Euronest Assembly - "Russian aggression affects not only Georgia, but also Ukraine. We are now in a situation where the mobilization of Russian military forces threatens Ukraine's sovereignty, security and peaceful development. I spoke to my Ukrainian counterpart yesterday and we discussed these difficult aspects of the current situation. Georgia, as well as the international community, should use all possible platforms to stop the aggression”.

According to him, against the background of the existing challenges, Georgia remains as a successful example of democratic reforms and a future-oriented state with an ambitious plan for integration into Western structures. Fundamental democratic reforms in recent years have allowed the country to build a more representative, pluralistic political system. In this context, A. Talakvadze also focused on the ongoing political dialogue under the auspices of the President of the Council of Europe and thanked the international partners once again for their efforts - "I hope that Euronest will play an important role in bringing countries closer together in the future. Power is in unity and Euronest, the European Union is really a space where unity is demonstrated - Georgia is part of this unity. The main goal of the Eastern Partnership is to bring the EU and its partners closer together and deepen cooperation”.

“Our parliamentary cooperation is the voice of the people, and this process is important for bringing our society and our economy closer together”, - David Sassoli stated.

According to him, the next Eastern Partnership summit will develop a new vision aimed at the well-being and sustainable development of citizens - "Therefore, it is important to be ambitious. We can develop new approaches, mechanisms and models. I assure you that the European Parliament will be fully involved in this process. It is important to analyze the challenges we face. The rule of law, the fight against corruption and judicial reform are very important aspects, however, we see that they take a very long time. We are ready to strengthen cooperation with all stakeholders”.

"The military conflict between neighboring countries is alarming. This fact assures us that there are no "frozen" conflicts. Our priority is to support peace. In this regard, you can count on the European Parliament”, - David Sassoli noted.

After the official opening part of the session, the delegates held a debate on: "recovery, resilience and democratisation perspectives for a post COVID-19 Eastern Partnership".