OREANDA-NEWS. June 11, 2013. Prime Minister Andrus Ansip met with Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Miroslava Nemcova today. The main topics discussed at the meeting were the Eastern Partnership and the Eastern Partnership summit to be held in Vilnius next autumn, which is expected to result in some progress in relations between the European Union and the Eastern Partnership countries.

Prime Minister Ansip expressed his condolences to the Czech people for the loss of life and suffering caused by the floods and asked about the current situation in Prague and other affected areas.

Nemcova said that water levels in Prague had risen to the maximum and hoped that the weather in the coming days would ease the situation. She thanked the prime minister for his compassion and was moved by the fact that Estonians are not indifferent to the events in the Czech Republic.

However, the main topic at the meeting was the Eastern Partnership, which aims to improve cooperation between Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Belarus with the European Union. The Eastern Partnership summit, which will be held in Vilnius in November, is expected to produce some progress in cooperation relationships.

Prime Minister Ansip said that the Eastern Partnership would be one of the most important topics during Lithuania’s presidency and hoped that the association agreement between Ukraine and the European Union would be signed. “The European Union must have a plan for Ukraine and Europe must know about the progress being made on the issue of Ukraine,” said Ansip.

Prime Minister Ansip emphasised that selective court trials in Ukraine are not acceptable. However, he also pointed out that Ukraine is currently carrying out extensive reforms and making efforts to take its legal order to the European level.

Ansip said that Estonia is interested in the prevalence of democracy, a market economy and peace in its region. “I hope there will be no attempts to simplify the problems at the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius, but that the best solution for Europe as a whole will be found instead,” he said.