On May 23 and 24, the 5th Informal Working Group Meeting on Research and Innovation is taking place in Chisinau (Republic of Moldova). The event is organized by the European Commission in support of the Eastern Partnership Initiative.
Eastern Partnership is a joint initiative of the European Union, its member states and Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine (partner countries). Launched in 2009, Eastern Partnership is a strategic and ambitious initiative based on common values and rules, mutual interests and commitments, and shared ownership and responsibility. It aims to strengthen and deepen the political and economic relations between the EU, its member states and partner countries and helps them achieve environmental and digital transformation. It supports the achievement of many global policy goals, including the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the UN’s 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. It contributes to the overall goal of increasing the stability, prosperity and resilience of the EU’s neighbors, as set out in the European Union’s Global Strategy for Foreign and Security Policy and the 2015 European Neighborhood Policy Review. It is fully aligned with the European Commission’s Political Guidelines for 2019-2024. Finally, the initiative reflects all relevant flagship strategies adopted by the Commission.
A separate panel at the event was devoted to the work of the national offices of the Horizon Europe Framework Program in the partner countries and Türkiye. Colleagues shared an extremely interesting experience of the offices’ functioning, as well as achievements and challenges that arise in various areas of the offices’ work (communication, functions, staff recruitment, partner search, etc.). In other words, the event became a platform for presentations, discussions, exchange of experience and building cooperation with colleagues.
On May 23, the official inauguration of the Horizon Europe Office of the Republic of Moldova took place, as well as the presentation of the Horizon Europe Office in Ukraine. After the official launch of the Ukrainian Office, we look forward to close cooperation with and assistance from the offices of partner countries.
Sessions and panels of the May 24 meeting were dedicated to the values and principles of international cooperation within the European Research Area (ERA), as well as the new European Innovation Sector Agenda and funding opportunities provided by the European Innovation Council (EIC).
We are grateful to the European Commission for the opportunity to participate in the event and develop new partnerships. We believe that the wish of the participants to hold the next meeting of the working group in Kyiv will become a reality!
