(ANSA) - BRUSSELS, MAY 14 - ''Eastern partnership is essentially a partnership for citizens and with citizens, focused on what is important to them: together we are working to achieve stronger economies, governance, connectivity, and society'', said EC president Jean-Claude Juncker giving his speech at the conference celebrating the 10th anniversary of the partnership. ''We have entered into ambitious association agreements and built free trade areas with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine and even the citizens of these countries benefit from visa-free travel for short stays in the EU - he added -. Our trade has increased with each one of the six countries, which as a whole are the tenth biggest trading partner of the EU''.

The conference, which brings together representatives from 34 countries, not only celebrates the success of the partnership but envisages a discussion forum on its future strategic direction. The event is also attended by the EU's commissioner for European neighborhood policy and enlargement negotiations.

Johannes Hahn and the EU's trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem. The six countries of the Eastern partnership are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. (ANSA).