Flanders and Estonia work on democratic institutions in Ukraine
During his meeting with Estonian Foreign Minister Marina Kaljurand on 11 May, Minister-president Bourgeois announced his support to the Estonian Centre of Eastern Partnership (ECEAP). ECEAP focuses on cooperation between the European Union and countries like Ukraine and Belarus, which Estonia as a former Soviet republic has historical ties to.
Bourgeois selected a project of ECEAP which provides training for Ukrainian officials and political representatives of local authorities and aims at integrating civil society in decision making processes. Bourgeois: "Buy providing this support, we help Ukraine to build a democratic state, which is also one of the Ukrainian commitments, stated in the Association Agreement with the European Union."
The 25,000 euro grant from the Government of Flanders enables ECEAP to identify stakeholders and to offer them a three-day training in Estonia, followed by a two-day training on location in Ukraine.
Minister-president Bourgeois' last stop on his mission to the Baltic States was Talinn on 12 May.