Azernews.Az

STRASBOURG – Foreign Ministers of Poland and Sweden, Radoslaw Sikorski and Carl Bildt have sent a letter to European Commission Deputy Chair, EU Foreign and Security Policy High Representative baroness Catherine Ashton and EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule.

The letter noted that Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine could one day become EU members, unlike countries in North Africa and the Middle East. "Some [countries bordering the EU] are European and thus enjoy special status in accordance with the treaties, others will remain neighbors of Europe," it said.

According to the letter, these countries will gradually adopt the EU rulebook, the acquis communautaire [the body of EU legislation which candidate countries must adopt to become EU members], move toward free trade and visa-free travel and take part in more EU projects, including police, military and migration-related schemes.

Mr Sikorski and Mr Bildt wrote to Brussels in response to a questionnaire sent out in July by Mr Fuele to all 27 EU capitals and 16 neighbouring countries.

The EU 27 and EU neighbour 16 foreign ministers plan to hold a meeting on future relations in February. Ms Ashton and Mr Fuele will then issue a communication on the future of the European Neighbourhood Policy in the run-up to the Budapest summit.