David Miliband: Eastern Partnership can be a step toward possible EU membership

PanARMENIAN.Net - UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband sees the Eastern Partnership, the recently launched new framework for cooperation between the European Union and Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine as a "step toward possible membership" of the Union. 



"To Europe's East, poor governance, the financial crisis, and frozen conflicts are critical causes of instability," he said speaking at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.



"The Eastern Partnership should be not only a stepping stone towards possible membership, but a crucial vehicle for stability, because through integration into the single market we can promote economic reform and drive economic growth; and if the countries on our east join the common energy community it will enhance not only their energy security but also our own," Mr. Miliband said.