08.12.2018

On 7 December in Vienna, the Austrian Presidency of the European Council hosted the first high-level annual Eastern Partnership (EaP) conference around the subject of ‘A stronger economy for stronger societies – Investing in people for sustainable growth’. The high-level first annual Eastern Partnership (EaP) conference brought together all the stakeholders of the EaP in order to highlight success stories of 2018 in the partner countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) and to discuss some key areas for the future: the economic and investment climate, labour (market) challenges and youth issues (education, training and employment). Mariam Zadoyan, the Project Manager of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association component of the “Armenia: Promoting Anti-Corruption Conduct and Reforms” Project and Eastern Partnership Civil Society Fellow, has also participated in the event․

The conference was opened by Dr Karin Kneissl, Austrian Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs and Johannes Hahn, the EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations.

This has been followed by three panel discussions through the day:

• Panel I: Improving the business environment in an inclusive manner: which actors and which measures can best contribute to stronger societies?

The objective of this session was to identify key economic and legal conditions to improve the business and investment climate in Partner Countries, and which factors (e.g. inclusion, participation, cohesion) contribute to stronger societies (and foster job creation), while giving concrete examples of successful policies.

 

• Panel II: Matching market needs and skills: how do we ensure that people are equipped with the right qualifications?

The objective of this session was to discuss what qualifications the economies in Partner Countries need for job-creation and how to ensure that such qualifications are provided to the people, including on the basis of concrete examples.

 

• Panel III: Investing in our future: how to foster youth employment and employability?

The objective of this session was to identify ways and give concrete examples of best practice to ensure an easier transition from education to work, as well as how to foster youth entrepreneurship.

Here is the agenda of the event: https://www.eap-events.eu/ehome/annual-conference-2018/agenda/