Civil society becomes an active participant of the Eastern Partnership program, said Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy, at the “Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum” in Brussels, Nov. 17.

According to her, civil society groups “are now active partners in a debate which too often in the past has been dominated by governments: the discussion of how to strengthen democracy, good governance, economic reform, and energy security.” She said she is “delighted to see that the community of civil society groups supporting the Eastern Partnership is growing and becoming more diverse,” EUmonitor e-source quotes the diplomat.

“There is a growing understanding and support for the values on which the EU and indeed the Eastern Partnership is based. This gives us hope for the future: for more stability, security and prosperity in all our countries,” concluded Ms. Ferrero-Waldner.

Carl Bildt, Swiss Foreign Minister presiding in EU, underlying that Eastern Partnership is one of the key EU initiatives said that civil society groups will be able to pass their recommendations at the EU foreign ministers’ sitting Dec. 8. with participation of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus.