The Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries intend to sign an agreement on regional mobile roaming by the end of 2020, reports EUneighbours.eu.

The goal of the regional roaming agreement is to harmonise and reduce roaming prices between Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.

Partner countries have agreed on the basic principles of Regional Roaming Agreement (RRA) at the Roaming Stakeholder Meeting of the Network of Eastern Partnership Regulators for Electronic Communications (EaPeReg) held in Vilnius, Lithuania, on November 12, this year.

The regional roaming agreement will be drafted by national public operators and competent authorities for national public consultation and deliberation.

EUneighbours.eu says that the next stage to broaden the context of social and economic integration of the region with the EU is to develop a common roaming space between EPartnership countries and the EU member states.

What is the Eastern Partnership?

The Eastern Partnership aims to reinforce the political association and economic integration of six Eastern European and South Caucasus partner countries:

• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Belarus
• Georgia
• the Republic of Moldova
• Ukraine

2019 marked the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership. Several high-level events were organised in May 2019  with the participation of the six Eastern partner countries, EU member states and stakeholders.