The final statement of the Eastern Partnership summit in Riga states that the EU remains supportive of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and uses the wording “illegal annexation of Crimea.”
The joint declaration states: “The EU reaffirms its positions taken in the Joint Statement made at the EU-Ukraine Summit on 27 April, including on the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol.”
The declaration also says that “Summit participants reaffirm their positions in relation to 'UN General Assembly Resolution 68/262 on the territorial integrity of Ukraine'.”
Armenia and Belarus refused to sign the final statement. Earlier, there were reports that Armenia and Belarus had attempted to block use of the term “illegal annexation” in reference to Russia’s actions towards Crimea in the final wording of the document. Both of these states had voted against the UN General Assembly Resolution 68/262 on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Armenia are members of the Eastern Partnership, which is an EU initiative to create a discussion forum with its eastern neighbors and bring them closer to the EU.
Crimea, which had been a region of Ukraine, became a part of the Russian Federation in March, 2014 following a referendum. Few states have recognized Crimea’s new political status as a part of Russia.
Crimea’s annexation by Russia prompted the EU, the USA and their allies to impose sanctions on Russia.