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On 29 June, outdoor sculptures of angels scattered around the city of Vilnius were decorated with national symbols of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine on the occasion of entry into force of the EU’s Association Agreements with Georgia and Moldova on 1 July. It is expected that the Association Agreement with Ukraine will also enter into force in the near future (the EU and Ukraine started applying some parts of the Association Agreement already on 1 January 2016).

“Since the signing of the agreements, the three associated partners started implementing major reform and in 2014-2016 reached more than during the first 23 years of their independence. Judicial independence, free energy market, the promotion of competition, the reform of the Prosecutor’s Office and civil service reform, the fight against corruption, strengthening independent media – all of this was created or reformed and strengthened while implementing the Association Agreements that also open up new opportunities for Lithuanian business,” says the Political Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Rolandas Kačinskas.

Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and the EU member states were able to take advantage of some of the opportunities offered by these agreements in advance. On 1 July, the EU’s Association Agreements with Georgia and Moldova will enter into force in the fields of the fight against corruption, the legal system and the public administration reform, democracy and human rights.

In the context of reforms in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, new markets and opportunities open up for the Lithuanian business – it is easiest to cooperate and to do business in countries where corruption is decreasing, there is a stable legal system and Western business standards apply to economies.

“European values bring together different EU member states and associated partners. When partners speak the same language, it is simpler to do the work, bureaucratic barriers to market access are reduced, while economic, political and cultural ties grow stronger,” said Kačinskas.

The symbols of the city of Vilnius – the sculptures of angels – were decorated with national symbols of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine by the Vilnius City Mayor Remigijus Šimašius, the Political Director Kačinskas, the Ambassadors of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

The first sculpture near a Novotel hotel was decorated with a scarf with emblems of Georgia’s national football team, the sculpture near the progymnasium named after Antanas Vienuolis was decorated with symbols of Moldova, and the sculpture near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was adorned with symbols of Ukraine.