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EUROPEAN LAWMAKERS ACCUSE RUSSIA OF BLOCKING EASTERN PARTNERSHIP ON EU AGREEMENTS
The Moscow Times, Russia
Sept 12 2013
12 September 2013 | Issue 5211
The Moscow Times
Several senior European Parliament members have accused Russia
of imposing sanctions on the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries
to prevent them from signing trade and visa agreements with the
European Union.
European parliamentarians called for sanctions against Russia in light
of its bans imposed this year on Moldovan wine, Ukrainian sweets and
Belarussian pork. Russia's alleged manipulation of energy deliveries
and its meddling in Armenia's relations with Turkey and the breakaway
region of Nagorno-Karabakh have also been called into question.
The calls for sanctions came on the eve of the two-day EaP Summit in
Vilnius, which started Thursday. The Eastern Partners include Belarus,
Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The European Parliament passed a resolution supported by five
political groups that proposes taking several measures against Russia,
including an embargo on the import of its spirits by EU countries,
and a complaint to the World Trade Organization about "Gazprom's
abuse of its dominant position on the EU gas market and its price
manipulation to the detriment to EU consumers," parliament member
Jacek Saryusz-Wolski said on his website.
Another measure involves building interconnected energy and gas
grids to help deliver energy to countries being pressed by Russia,
said Saryusz-Wolski, chairman of the parliament's delegation for
relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. He also suggested
opening European markets to EaP goods, for example, wine.
Saryusz-Wolski described Russia's economic policies toward EaP
countries as "pressure" that is "clearly in violation of WTO rules
and encroaches upon EU interests."
In addition, Russia is "contesting" the European Union's desire
to sign trade-liberalizing Association Agreements with the EaP,
Saryusz-Wolski said.
Pawel Kowal, chairman of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation
Committee, said that he supported Association Agreements and that it
was "necessary to lift trade and visa barriers," with EaP countries,
Interfax-Ukraine reported.
Elmar Brok, chairman of the parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee,
said in parliament Wednesday that Russia's exploitation of "energy
prices as an instrument for blocking a country's free choice" was
"unacceptable."
Brok urged EaP countries to sign Association Agreements with the EU.
Libor Roucek, a Foreign Affairs Committee member, echoed his
colleague's sentiments, saying "We don't need new cold wars in Europe,"
Interfax-Ukraine reported.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/european-lawmakers-accuse-russia-of-blocking-eastern-partnership-on-eu-agreements/485978.html
The Moscow Times, Russia
Sept 12 2013
12 September 2013 | Issue 5211
The Moscow Times
Several senior European Parliament members have accused Russia
of imposing sanctions on the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries
to prevent them from signing trade and visa agreements with the
European Union.
European parliamentarians called for sanctions against Russia in light
of its bans imposed this year on Moldovan wine, Ukrainian sweets and
Belarussian pork. Russia's alleged manipulation of energy deliveries
and its meddling in Armenia's relations with Turkey and the breakaway
region of Nagorno-Karabakh have also been called into question.
The calls for sanctions came on the eve of the two-day EaP Summit in
Vilnius, which started Thursday. The Eastern Partners include Belarus,
Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The European Parliament passed a resolution supported by five
political groups that proposes taking several measures against Russia,
including an embargo on the import of its spirits by EU countries,
and a complaint to the World Trade Organization about "Gazprom's
abuse of its dominant position on the EU gas market and its price
manipulation to the detriment to EU consumers," parliament member
Jacek Saryusz-Wolski said on his website.
Another measure involves building interconnected energy and gas
grids to help deliver energy to countries being pressed by Russia,
said Saryusz-Wolski, chairman of the parliament's delegation for
relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. He also suggested
opening European markets to EaP goods, for example, wine.
Saryusz-Wolski described Russia's economic policies toward EaP
countries as "pressure" that is "clearly in violation of WTO rules
and encroaches upon EU interests."
In addition, Russia is "contesting" the European Union's desire
to sign trade-liberalizing Association Agreements with the EaP,
Saryusz-Wolski said.
Pawel Kowal, chairman of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation
Committee, said that he supported Association Agreements and that it
was "necessary to lift trade and visa barriers," with EaP countries,
Interfax-Ukraine reported.
Elmar Brok, chairman of the parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee,
said in parliament Wednesday that Russia's exploitation of "energy
prices as an instrument for blocking a country's free choice" was
"unacceptable."
Brok urged EaP countries to sign Association Agreements with the EU.
Libor Roucek, a Foreign Affairs Committee member, echoed his
colleague's sentiments, saying "We don't need new cold wars in Europe,"
Interfax-Ukraine reported.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/european-lawmakers-accuse-russia-of-blocking-eastern-partnership-on-eu-agreements/485978.html