Zanda Kalnia-Lukaševica: Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga should chart positive agenda for the future

On 20 May, the Latvian Foreign Ministry’s Parliamentary State Secretary for EU Affairs, Zanda Kalniņa- Lukaševica, represented the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini i, at the plenary of the European Parliament in a discussion on the Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga. The Parliamentary State Secretary stressed that the Riga Summit must chart a positive agenda for the future.

The Association Agreements signed with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in June 2014 have brought EU cooperation with these countries to a new level. The Association Agreements with Georgia and Moldova, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas, are already being provisionally applied producing positive results. Initial indications are that trade volumes between the EU and Georgia, and the EU and Moldova are increasing. The recent EU-Ukraine Summit reconfirmed that the provisional application of the EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area will begin on 1 January 2016.

Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica informed the European Parliament that, in preparation for the Riga Summit, an understanding has been reached with Armenia on the scope of future relations. The EU currently awaits Azerbaijan’s ideas on how it sees its future relations with the EU. Equally, the deepening of EU’s critical engagement with Belarus is also being explored.

Latvian Parliamentary State Secretary emphasised that further developing the EU’s bilateral relations with the Eastern Partnership countries in a differentiated way is the best way to continue the Eastern Partnership policy and ensure that partners remain committed to this framework.

In addition, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica indicated that progress has been made in the field of mobility. Moldova has already been enjoying the advantages of a visa-free regime with the Schengen area since April last year. Both Georgia and Ukraine have made good progress in implementing the benchmarks of their Visa Liberalisation Action Plans.

Fulfilling the actions included in the recent Commission progress reports would allow these countries to complete the implementation of all the required conditions. The European Commission will continue to support Georgia and Ukraine with the implementation of these measures. The Commission will report on the progress made by Georgia and Ukraine by the end of 2015. In turn, finalisation of the negotiations with Belarus on the visa facilitation agreement and readmission agreement is expected in the near future.

The Parliamentary State Secretary stressed that neither the Eastern Partnership nor the EU’s relations with the Eastern Partnership countries are directed against anyone. The EU will continue to stand up for the Eastern Partnership countries as they make free, sovereign choices about their foreign policy and trade relations.

Concluding the debate, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica noted that the Riga Summit will be a good opportunity to reconfirm the EU commitment to the Eastern Partnership.

During the debate, the European Parliament’s political groups called for strengthening the relations with the Eastern Partnership countries, including by supporting democratic and economic reforms. A special emphasis was given to the necessity of visa liberalisation with Ukraine and Georgia.

Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and pressure it exercises on Moldova and Georgia causes deep alarm in the European Parliament. In the light of such policy, a special attention was drawn to the necessity to fight against propaganda used by the Russian Federation, and other types of hybrid threats. The MPs also informed about an open letter by 98 MPs to the participants of the Riga Summit.