Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-11-15-Speech-4-239"
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"en.20071115.24.4-239"2
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"Madam President, the recently adopted new strategy for Central Asia reflects the commitment of the European Union to enhanced long-term engagement and cooperation with the region. The EU and Central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan, have agreed to make human rights, the rule of law, good governance and democratisation key elements of the strategy.
We intend to step up support for the protection of human rights and the creation and development of an independent judiciary, thus making a sustainable contribution to the consolidation of the rule of law and respect for international human rights standards in Central Asia.
EU-Uzbekistan relations have to be put in this context, where encouragement to take positive steps to improve human rights and democratisation are the basis of dialogue and cooperation. Our relations with Uzbekistan have gone through a difficult phase over the last few years, notably since the events in Andijan in May 2005, and we remain seriously concerned about the human rights situation.
It is our firm belief that we stand a better chance of encouraging progress in the human rights situation in Uzbekistan by engagement rather than isolation. Isolation has not worked. We welcome the gradual re-engagement that has taken place over the past year, since the EU-Uzbekistan Cooperation Council agreed to establish a regular human rights dialogue, the first round of which was in May this year. Two rounds of expert-level talks have also taken place on the Andijan events. We are also planning a dialogue with Uzbek civil society on freedom of the media, which should take place in Tashkent early next year. We also welcome Uzbekistan’s introduction of habeas corpus and the abolition of the death penalty, which should come into effect in January 2008.
At the last meeting of the General Affairs Council, the EU Member States agreed on the renewal of restrictive measures but, at the same time, agreed on the conditional suspension of the visa ban. The Council urged Uzbekistan to fully implement its international obligations relating to human rights and, in particular, to allow unimpeded access by relevant international bodies to prisoners, to engage effectively with UN special rapporteurs, to let all NGOs operate without constraint in Uzbekistan and to release human rights defenders from detention and cease harassing them.
The Council stated that the lifting of the visa restrictions would be reviewed after six months, to assess whether Uzbekistan had made progress in meeting these conditions. The Uzbek authorities agreed to continue the discussion on human rights issues in the context of the EU-Uzbekistan Cooperation Committee early next year.
Uzbekistan has also shown itself open to discussing with the Commission ways to further enhance Community assistance in supporting the reform of its political institutions, such as the parliament, and the reform of the judiciary, all of which we will discuss further in the Cooperation Committee. The fact that the EU’s restrictive measures remain in place clearly signals both to the Uzbeks and the broader public our concerns about the situation in Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan has a long way to go in the area of human rights and we will continue to stress to the Uzbek side, in line with the Council conclusions, that we expect to see concrete progress in the human rights situation on the ground.
Human rights will continue to be an important and difficult issue in our relations with Uzbekistan, but the Commission believes that engagement is the best way to promote positive developments."@en1
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