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The European Union respects the right of any state which is a part to the Eastern Partnership to freely choose its own ways of development while maintaining cooperation with the 28-member bloc, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday, Sputnik reports.

Merkel stressed that the Eastern Partnership is not aimed against any third countries and particularly it is not aimed against Russia.

The EU would respect the wishes of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus to maintain close ties with Russia, she said, according to the BBC.

Referring to the easing of visa regimes between Ukraine, Georgia and the European Union, she said that it is currently impossible. “The easing of the visa regime is possible only upon the completion of all necessary conditions for that. The European Commission has presented a report that Ukraine and Georgia have put much effort into this issue, but not enough effort so as the situation was improved as a whole,” Merkel said. 

Merkel will participate in a two-day Eastern Partnership summit in Riga, designed to establish closer ties between the European Union and former Soviet republics, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.