EU Foreign Affairs Council looks forward to the elections in 2013 in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia and underlines the importance of them being held in line with international standards and previous relevant recommendations by OSCE/ODIHR.

After the Monday meeting, Council issued Conclusions on Eastern Partnership recalling that at the heart of the project lies “a shared commitment to international law and fundamental values, including democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as to market economy, sustainable development and good governance.”

“Looking forward to the Vilnius Summit, it [the Council] emphasizes that the pace of reforms will determine the intensity of cooperation and partners most engaged in reforms will benefit most from their relationship with the EU,” the statement reads.