Prime Minister: We need an active civil society as an enabler of progress and guardian of democracy

She mentioned that the Eastern Partnership events in Riga provide an opportunity to build on agreements signed last year with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova and to advance the mobility agenda that opens up new possibilities for cooperation in business, science and education. "It is an opportunity to tailor each Eastern Partnership relationship to the specific needs of the country in question," affirmed Laimdota Straujuma.

According to the Prime Minister, civil society is composed of citizens who demand reforms and hold their leaders to account, whose hopes guide governments' decisions. She went on to mention that events in Ukraine last year illustrated the vital role of civil society in promoting peace and stability, and the risks that arise if it does not, or is not allowed to, play that role. This, she explained, is why we need an active civil society that is fully engaged in the Eastern Partnership process – a dynamic civil society that enables progress and safeguards democracy.  

Laimdota Straujuma said that the Riga Summit was an occasion to raise issues such as the strategic role of civil society in the Eastern Partnership or civil society's role in promoting better governance, social inclusion and sustainable growth.  

Opening of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Conference