Economic context and the role of SMEs in the Eastern partner countries

The Eastern partner (EaP) region is composed of six countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine), which together cover 1.03 million km2 and contain 75.4 million people. The region is strategically located close to some very large markets (including the European Union, Russia and Turkey) and has a well-educated population (literacy is close to 99%). In 2014, the EaP countries generated a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of USD 315.7 billion. Ukraine is by far the largest EaP country, accounting for 40% of the region’s GDP in 2014, followed by Belarus and Azerbaijan, with 24% and 23.5% respectively in 2014 (IMF, 2015a).