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New Europe
Sept 14 2013
MEPs urge Russia to lessen pressure on ex-Soviet republics
15/09/2013 - 12:39am
STRASBOURG - MEPs debated the pressure that has been placed by Russia
on countries to the east of the EU not to sign up to EU agreements at
the forthcoming Vilnius summit. On 12 September, they passed a
resolution saying that Moscow must respect the right of the EU's
eastern neighbours to choose whether to enter into association
agreements with Brussels.
For example, Russia must refrain from exerting pressure, such as its
recent trade sanctions against Ukraine and Moldova and threats to
Armenia, to dissuade them from signing or initialling deals with the
EU at this November's Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius, the text
added.
The resolution firmly rejects the idea that the EU's and Russia's
relations with Eastern Partnership countries can be treated as a
`zero-sum game'. Instead of using the region's frozen conflicts in its
geopolitical and economic interests, Russia should co-operate and
contribute constructively to the region's economic and political
stability, the text added.
MEPs also encourage the Eastern partnership countries to pursue
preparations for the Vilnius Eastern Partnership Summit and `not
succumb to pressure' from Russia. They reaffirm their strongest
support for initialling or signing the agreements at the Vilnius
Summit with those Eastern Partnership countries "which are ready and
willing to do so".
MEP Pawel Kowal chaired the parliament's delegation for relations with
Ukraine. At the debate on 11 September, EU Commissioner for
Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fuele criticised Russia
for trying to block closer co-operation between the EU and members of
its Eastern Partnership. `Let me be clear: the development of the
Eurasian Economic Union project must respect our partners' sovereign
decisions. Any threats from Russia linked to the possible signing of
agreements with the European Union are unacceptable. This applies to
all forms of pressure, including: the possible misuse of energy
pricing; artificial trade obstacles such as import bans of dubious WTO
compatibility and cumbersome customs procedures; military cooperation
and security guarantees: and the instrumentalisation of protracted
conflicts,' Fuele said.
`This is not how international relations should function on our
continent in the twenty-first century. Such actions clearly breach the
principles to which all European states have subscribed. In the
Helsinki Principles of the OSCE we have committed to respect each
country's `right freely to define and conduct as it wishes its
relations with other States in accordance with international law'. The
European Union will support and stand by those who are subject to
undue pressures,' the Commissioner said.
`Let me emphasise that AA/DCFTAs are not conceived at Russia's
expense. On the contrary, Russia will also benefit greatly from the
integration of the Eastern Partnership countries into the wider
European economy. Our vision is that these agreements should
contribute in the long term to the eventual creation of a common
economic space from Lisbon to Vladivostok, based on WTO rules,' Fuele
said.
`So we encourage our partners to deepen their ties with Russia, as we
do ourselves, but in a way which is compatible with AA/DCFTA
obligations. The European Union is ready to work with its neighbours
to find ways to promote greater regulatory convergence between the EU
and members of the Customs Union. The last thing we want to see is a
protectionist wall cutting our continent in two. In today's
ever-more-competitive global economy, we cannot afford to waste our
efforts on a regional geopolitical rivalry,' the Commissioner said.
German MEP Elmar Brok, the chairman of the European Parliament
Committee on Foreign Affairs, told the debate that it is not
acceptable when a country like Russia uses energy pricing as a tool in
order to block the free choice of a country.
Kiev's hopes of signing a free-trade pact and other agreements with
the EU at the Vilnius summit have caused concern in Moscow. Russia,
which would like control of Ukraine's gas pipeline network, has used
the promise of much cheaper gas to try to coax Kiev into the Customs
Union, which was set up in 2010 and offers tariff-free trade between
members.
In August, Russia sounded a warning shot to Ukraine, conducting extra
customs checks on Ukrainian imports over several days.
http://www.neurope.eu/article/meps-urge-russia-lessen-pressure-ex-soviet-republics
Sept 14 2013
MEPs urge Russia to lessen pressure on ex-Soviet republics
15/09/2013 - 12:39am
STRASBOURG - MEPs debated the pressure that has been placed by Russia
on countries to the east of the EU not to sign up to EU agreements at
the forthcoming Vilnius summit. On 12 September, they passed a
resolution saying that Moscow must respect the right of the EU's
eastern neighbours to choose whether to enter into association
agreements with Brussels.
For example, Russia must refrain from exerting pressure, such as its
recent trade sanctions against Ukraine and Moldova and threats to
Armenia, to dissuade them from signing or initialling deals with the
EU at this November's Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius, the text
added.
The resolution firmly rejects the idea that the EU's and Russia's
relations with Eastern Partnership countries can be treated as a
`zero-sum game'. Instead of using the region's frozen conflicts in its
geopolitical and economic interests, Russia should co-operate and
contribute constructively to the region's economic and political
stability, the text added.
MEPs also encourage the Eastern partnership countries to pursue
preparations for the Vilnius Eastern Partnership Summit and `not
succumb to pressure' from Russia. They reaffirm their strongest
support for initialling or signing the agreements at the Vilnius
Summit with those Eastern Partnership countries "which are ready and
willing to do so".
MEP Pawel Kowal chaired the parliament's delegation for relations with
Ukraine. At the debate on 11 September, EU Commissioner for
Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fuele criticised Russia
for trying to block closer co-operation between the EU and members of
its Eastern Partnership. `Let me be clear: the development of the
Eurasian Economic Union project must respect our partners' sovereign
decisions. Any threats from Russia linked to the possible signing of
agreements with the European Union are unacceptable. This applies to
all forms of pressure, including: the possible misuse of energy
pricing; artificial trade obstacles such as import bans of dubious WTO
compatibility and cumbersome customs procedures; military cooperation
and security guarantees: and the instrumentalisation of protracted
conflicts,' Fuele said.
`This is not how international relations should function on our
continent in the twenty-first century. Such actions clearly breach the
principles to which all European states have subscribed. In the
Helsinki Principles of the OSCE we have committed to respect each
country's `right freely to define and conduct as it wishes its
relations with other States in accordance with international law'. The
European Union will support and stand by those who are subject to
undue pressures,' the Commissioner said.
`Let me emphasise that AA/DCFTAs are not conceived at Russia's
expense. On the contrary, Russia will also benefit greatly from the
integration of the Eastern Partnership countries into the wider
European economy. Our vision is that these agreements should
contribute in the long term to the eventual creation of a common
economic space from Lisbon to Vladivostok, based on WTO rules,' Fuele
said.
`So we encourage our partners to deepen their ties with Russia, as we
do ourselves, but in a way which is compatible with AA/DCFTA
obligations. The European Union is ready to work with its neighbours
to find ways to promote greater regulatory convergence between the EU
and members of the Customs Union. The last thing we want to see is a
protectionist wall cutting our continent in two. In today's
ever-more-competitive global economy, we cannot afford to waste our
efforts on a regional geopolitical rivalry,' the Commissioner said.
German MEP Elmar Brok, the chairman of the European Parliament
Committee on Foreign Affairs, told the debate that it is not
acceptable when a country like Russia uses energy pricing as a tool in
order to block the free choice of a country.
Kiev's hopes of signing a free-trade pact and other agreements with
the EU at the Vilnius summit have caused concern in Moscow. Russia,
which would like control of Ukraine's gas pipeline network, has used
the promise of much cheaper gas to try to coax Kiev into the Customs
Union, which was set up in 2010 and offers tariff-free trade between
members.
In August, Russia sounded a warning shot to Ukraine, conducting extra
customs checks on Ukrainian imports over several days.
http://www.neurope.eu/article/meps-urge-russia-lessen-pressure-ex-soviet-republics