In Kiev the Eastern Partnership informal meeting was held. Except of the Foreign Ministers session the meeting envisaged the discussion on small and medium business development with participation of the corresponding ministers in the field. Form the Georgian side the meeting attended Gigi Getsadze, Deputy Foreign Minister and the Nikoloz Gagua, Deputy Minister of Economic and Sustainable Development.
From the EU party the participants were Johannes Hahn (Austrian politician) Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations; Helga Maria Schmidt, Deputy Secretary General for the European External Action Service (EAS) other officials.
[To be noted, in January 20 of the year 2015 Helga Schmidt has been suspended as general director of the Palau de les Arts in Valencia, Spain, amid reports of financial irregularities].
For information, the Eastern Partnership (EaP) is an initiative of the European Union governing its relationship with the post-Soviet states of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, intended to provide an avenue for discussions of trade, economic strategy, travel agreements, and other issues between the EU and these countries.
