​The Conference of the Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP) meeting in Vilnius on 3 September adopted some political recommendations in view of the Eastern partnership summit which will gather Heads of State and Governments from the EU and the Eastern Partners countries in the end of November. In that occasion free trade agreements may be initialled between some EaP countries and the EU. The EA group was represented by Mr. Jan Brons from Poland and Povilas Zagunis from Lithuania.

The CORLEAP members reiterated the importance of moving forward with decentralisation in the Eastern Partners countries so as to make local governments autonomous from a political and financial point of view. They added that it is also of key importance to reform the public administration and enhance territorial cooperation between the countries concerned.

Moreover, CORLEAP has called for direct access to adequate financial instruments for EaP countries 'cities and regions and for the limitation, or even removal, of the co-financing requirements for local authorities within the EU aid programmes, as those requirements further hinder their limited financial capacities. During the meeting the Eastern Partners elected Mr Mamuka Abuladze, Member of the Rustavi City Assembly and President of the Georgian Association of Local Authorities, as new CORLEAP co-chair representing the EaP partner countries who also invited CORLEAP to hold its next annual conference in Tbilisi.