European Parliament, Plenary Debate on Ukraine,Strasbourg, 26 February 2014
President, Honourable Members,
It has not even been a month since I
last stood here. We have all followed the tragic developments unfolding
before our eyes in the intervening period.
What I retain is a sense of immense
sorrow over the high numbers of dead and wounded. I wish to express our
sympathy and condolences to the families of all those who have fallen
victim to unprecedented levels of violence, provocation and
indiscriminate use of force in Ukraine during the last few weeks.
During my
last visit to Kyiv, I visited two hospitals to show solidarity with the
injured people. No matter which side they were on, they were suffering
because of the actions or non-actions of politicians.
As President Barroso said in this
House yesterday, the winds of change are knocking again at Ukraine's
doors; the will of the people must prevail.
Those who violated fundamental rights
are to be brought to justice. Justice should be fair and without
revenge, fully in line with the European Convention on Human Rights and
the case law of the European Court of Human Rights.
This tragedy puts an even greater responsibility on all involved to make things work now in Ukraine.
It puts a greater responsibility on
the new Ukrainian government – interim and beyond – to deliver the
changes the people have asked and fought for. It puts also a greater
responsibility on the European Union to extend all our support and
expertise to ensure that these changes are put on solid ground and will
be sustainable.
This joint European effort has been a
good example of European Foreign policy in action and intensive and
fruitful interaction with the European Parliament:
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As you know, High Representative/ Vice-President Catherine Ashton and I have ensured a quasi-permanent presence in Kyiv since the start of the crisis. Last week, the Foreign Ministers of Germany, France and Poland took on the task to represent us, at the very moment of the deadliest clashes since the outbreak of the crisis.
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In parallel the remaining Foreign Ministers were meeting in Brussels and maintaining regular contact with our colleagues on the ground.
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We adopted strongly worded Council Conclusions introducing targeted sanctions. Meanwhile, our three colleagues facilitated talks between the President and the opposition in Kyiv, transmitting the clear and unequivocal messages from the European Union.
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A multi-party delegation from this House, led by the Chair of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET), Honourable Member Elmar Brok, visited Kyiv over last weekend to meet with counterparts in the Verkhovna Rada and other stakeholders.
Now it is important that all sides
continue engaging in a meaningful dialogue to fulfil the aspirations of
the Ukrainian people.
We expect everyone in Ukraine to
behave responsibly and protect the unity, sovereignty, independence and
territorial integrity of the country. Due respect for regional, cultural
and linguistic diversity of the country is also of utmost importance.
We need a lasting solution to the
political crisis. Elements for the solution are clear and were also
outlined in the Agreement of 21 February:
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First, a comprehensive constitutional reform to be started immediately and completed by September, drawing substantially on relevant expertise of the Venice Commission;
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Second, the formation of a new inclusive government; and
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Third, ensuring the conditions for free and fair elections, also in close cooperation with the Venice Commission and also the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
Let me underline the importance of the
Verkhovna Rada as a legitimate political institution. It is also
crucial that the new administration is inclusive politically,
geographically and in terms of stakeholder participation.
As I said earlier, issues, such as the
investigation into massive cases of violence, judicial and police
reform and others, will have to be addressed to heal the wounds of the
last days, but also months, and years, and bring this country forward.
We are ready to step in where requested, in close cooperation with our
international partners.
I welcome
the engagement of the Council of Europe, including Commissioner for
Human Rights Muižnieks recent preliminary report following his visit to
Kyiv which focuses on the need to prevent further violence and ensure
investigation of human rights violations. I also strongly hope that an
International Advisory Panel will start work soon.
Our offer of
political association and economic integration remains on the table and
as said in our February Foreign Affairs Council Conclusions, the
Association Agreement (AA)/ Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement
(DCFTA) does not constitute the final goal in European Union-Ukraine
cooperation.
We are ready to work promptly with a
future Ukrainian government committed to economic and political reforms
and to step in with assistance. We are working on the best inclusive
platform for international coordination to provide sustainable economic
and financial support, including all international partners, to help in
addressing the challenges the country is facing.
High
Representative/ Vice-President Catherine Ashton was in Kyiv on Monday
and Tuesday to discuss with all stakeholders present in Kyiv and engaged
in the inclusive political process. This visit was warmly welcomed by
interlocutors from all political factions as well as by representatives
of Maidan. Cathy underlined the need to restore trust in the
institutions and reiterated the European Union's offer of help. All
partners responded positively to this offer.
While in
Kyiv, she also met with Yulia Tymoshenko, released from prison after two
and a half years of detention. Shortly after her release I spoke to Ms
Tymoshenko by phone underlining the importance of her health recovery.
Her release was an important step forward in view of our long standing
concerns with the selective justice in the country. Let me once again
thank the Parliament for its immense efforts on this issue. Let me also
commend in particular the outstanding work done over a sustained period
by Pat Cox and Alexander Kwaśniewski.
Before
concluding, let me say a few words about Russia. Ukraine needs Russia,
and Russia needs Ukraine. Russia has a chance to become part of the
efforts to bring stability and prosperity back to Ukraine, including
being part of the coordinated international efforts to help Ukraine
address its economic challenges.
This will
require recognition of the sovereign right of the Ukrainian people to
make their own choices about their future. Those choices are about
domestic politics just as much as they are about foreign policy. Russia
can only gain from Ukraine’s success; and it risks losing heavily if
Ukraine fails. We are ready to work very closely with Russia, the
neighbour of our neighbour, to ensure it plays a constructive role in
Ukraine’s future – the future of a neighbour with whom Russia has
traditional ties which we support.
In view of the challenges and the need
for a continued coherent European policy on Ukraine, I congratulate you
for organising today's debate. The Parliament's involvement has been
very important for all in Ukraine that have been striving for a stable,
prosperous and democratic future.
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-14-162_en.htm?locale=en
26/2/14
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Ukraine-UE: l'accord d'association, étape de l'intégration (Füle)...
ReplyDeleteLa signature d'un accord d'association entre l'Ukraine et l'Union européenne ne constitue pas l'objectif final de la coopération entre Bruxelles et Kiev, a indiqué le commissaire européen à l'élargissement et la politique de voisinage Štefan Füle.
"Notre proposition d'association politique et d'intégration économique tient toujours et, selon les conclusions du Conseil de l'UE pour les affaires étrangères de février, l'accord d'association/libre-échange n'est pas l'objectif final de la coopération entre l'Union européenne et l'Ukraine", a déclaré M.Füle, intervenant mercredi devant le Parlement européen.
Le porte-parole de la Commission européenne Olivier Bailly a déclaré lundi 24 février que l'UE reprendrait les négociations sur l'accord d'association avec l'Ukraine après l'élection présidentielle anticipée dans ce pays...................http://fr.ria.ru/world/20140226/200596225.html
26/2/14