Eastern Partnership's 10th anniversary celebrations kick off in Brussels

Baku. 14 February. REPORT.AZ/ 100 Young European Ambassadorsfrom the European Union and its six Eastern partner countries are gathering this week in Brussels to celebratethe achievements of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) in the past decade, Report informs.

"Young people are at the heart of our cooperation with our partners. The Young European Ambassadors is a unique initiative providing a platform to listen to and discuss ideas,which have a direct impact on the lives of young people across the region,"said Lawrence Meredith, Director Neighbourhood East, European Commission.

The 10-year-old Partnership has resulted in over 30.000 young people participating in Erasmus+ volunteering, exchanges and youth mobility projects, and over 6.000 young people benefiting from the opportunities provided by the EU4Youth since 2018. Bright young students from the EaP region now also have the opportunity to attend the first European School outside of EU borders, which officially opened its doors in Tbilisi in September 2018.

The group of Young European Ambassadors, that are joined by a number of social media influencers from across the six countries,are meeting EU officialsto discuss the achievements of the Partnership and its future goals. They are also participatingin a large flash mob at the heart of the EU quarter in Brussels which will feature national dances and costumes.

Close to five hundred young people from the EU and its eastern neighbourhood currently act as ‘Young European Ambassadors’ (YEAs). These Ambassadors regularly organise local community events in their countries and participate in international fora to spread the word about the initiative.

The event is organised by the EU Neighbours East project in collaboration with EU institutions.

The Eastern Partnership program was launched by the EU in 2009. Its main goal is the development of regional cooperation with six countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

Notably, the Eastern Partnership program was initiated at the first summit in Prague in May 2009.