Azerbaijan ranked first in the Eastern Partnership Index in achieving sustainable development goals.
The evaluation measures the sustainable development policies of the Eastern Partnership countries and the extent to which they have achieved the sustainable development goals defined by the United Nations.
The indicators on which the evaluation takes place are the following: sustainable development policies, sustainable development goals, educational and cultural policies.
Azerbaijan (0.79) is followed by Belarus (0.78), Ukraine (0.77), Armenia (0.72), Moldova (0.57) and Georgia (0.57).
The report also assesses the index of convergence with the European Union, which is evaluated in two categories. The first one – convergence with the EU – reflects how each of the countries adopts EU norms and international standards.
In this category, Ukraine (0.73) ranks first and is followed by Armenia (0.66), Moldova (0.65), Georgia (0.64), Azerbaijan (0.56) and Belarus (0.52).
The second criterion shows how closely each of the countries is connected with the EU. It covers relations between governments, in the economy and among citizens.
Here Georgia and Moldova share the first place with the index of 0.71. They are followed by Ukraine (0.66), Armenia (0.50), Azerbaijan (0.47) and Belarus (0.45).
The Eastern Partnership is an initiative aimed at deepening and strengthening the EU’s relations with six countries – Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine.