Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-03-12-Speech-4-011"
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"en.20090312.4.4-011"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, thank you for your opinion and your commitment to this matter.
I would like to underline what you said, namely that we are facing huge challenges in our neighbourly relations as regards stability, democratic change and now, of course, economic development as well. Now is therefore also a good time for us to express our commitment and our readiness to cooperate closely with our eastern neighbours.
It is clear – and we should also say openly – that we have an interest in the influence we as the European Union have on our eastern neighbours. However, we want to extend our influence, not by violence, not by threats and not by coercion, but by offering to support precisely those countries in their search for stability and democratic change. I hope that they really are all seeking democratic change, particularly now when, like Ukraine, they have huge economic problems.
Economic problems, for some of which they are not to blame, but of course for some of which they are also partly responsible. We should also be aware that we also need to be critical of some things. Precisely because we are offering our support, we also need to criticise what we think needs criticising and to demand what is necessary in order for these countries to play their part too. I am thinking in particular of Ukraine, but I will come back to this country shortly.
It is absolutely vital that we do not see this Eastern Partnership as a tool to use against Russia, but rather as a strengthening of the countries which, in terms of neighbours, have the European Union on one side and Russia on the other, as – all being well – Russia should become our partner, particularly with regard to this policy.
I am very pleased that the United States and President Obama, together with Vice-President Biden and the Secretary of State Mrs Clinton, are now pursuing a different policy. We should not hold back our criticism with regard to internal developments in Russia. However, the reset button of which Mr Biden spoke in Munich should also be pressed as an attempt, as an offer to Russia to start a new relationship.
In this regard, my group is not particularly happy about the fact that the report by Mr Onyszkiewicz, as agreed in the Committee on Foreign Affairs, does not take up what the US is now offering. We are lagging behind the US. That is terrible. We should be going forward with the US, while naturally always keeping the issue of human rights in the foreground. This will be necessary and I hope that we shall still achieve a joint resolution on Russia. This, in my opinion, is vital.
I have already mentioned that our offer, our Eastern Partnership, does not mean that we approve of everything that is happening in our neighbouring countries. For example, if I consider the situation in Ukraine, it must not be a case of ‘no matter what you do, what disputes you have and what problems you fail to solve, you will have the support of the European Union’. The leading forces in Ukraine must ultimately address the problems together, because the gas crisis is linked to a dispute within the political spectrum of Ukraine, and that, to us, is totally unacceptable. I do not wish to apportion blame here – we can all form our own opinion. However, it is absolutely vital that we make this clear to Ukraine. The same applies to Georgia and to all other countries. The European Union has made an offer and I hope that our eastern neighbours will accept this offer, take it seriously and actually make stability and democracy a reality."@en1
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