 The Söderköping Process was launched by Sweden in May 2001 as a proactive initiative to respond to the challenges of EU enlargement eastwards and to promote better cooperation on asylum and migration related issues among the countries situated along the future eastern border of EU Member States. The initiative was named “The Söderköping Process” after the town of Söderköping in Sweden where the first meeting took place. The Söderköping Process is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Swedish Migration Board (SMB) are the project partners. The Process is coordinated by a Network of National Coordinators covering 10 countries situated along the enlarged EU border: Belarus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine and a Secretariat which works to facilitate and enhance intergovernmental cooperation, information-sharing and contacts between the EU and Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine.
| 
