The Vilnius Eastern Partnership Summit is a two-day summit of the European Union 's Eastern Partnership initiative, which took place on November 28 - 29, 2013 in Vilnius .
History
The summit was attended by all the leaders of the Eastern Partnership countries: President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev , Armenia Serzh Sargsyan , Georgia Georgy Margelashvili , Prime Minister of Moldova Yuri Lyanke , President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych , Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Vladimir Makei [1] .
The European Union was represented by: President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso , President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz , EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Catherine Ashton , EU Commissioners for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule and Trade Karel de Guht .
During the summit, Georgia and Moldova initialed association agreements with the EU [2] . It was also envisaged to sign the Association Agreement and the Agreement on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with Ukraine, however, a week before the summit, the Ukrainian government suspended the preparatory process for signing [3] . Addressing the audience, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said that Ukraine remains committed to the ideas of European integration and intends to sign an association agreement with the EU in the near future, but first expects from the leaders of the European Union and related organizations “decisive steps towards Ukraine in the development and implementation financial and economic assistance programs using all available mechanisms and resources of both institutions and EU member states. ” Among these steps, Viktor Yanukovych called the organization of budget assistance programs from the EU and the IMF, the revision of trade restrictions on the import of Ukrainian products, the EU’s participation in the reconstruction of the Ukrainian gas transportation system and the refusal of EU member states to participate in projects to build gas transmission systems bypassing Ukraine, as well as resolving problems and contradictions with Russia and other countries of the Customs Union. In conclusion, Yanukovych expressed the hope that Ukraine will be able to sign an association agreement with the EU at the next Eastern Partnership Summit [4] .
Azerbaijan also refused to sign an association agreement with the EU [5] .
“We have already notified the European Union that we will not be able to accept the proposed association agreement. We want to prepare a document that more adequately meets the level of our relations and cooperation with the European Union ”
- Novruz Mammadov, November 25, 2013 [6]
European Commission President Barroso rejected the proposal of Ukrainian President Yanukovych on Russia's participation in Ukraine’s negotiations with the European Union [7] , and Martin Schulz said that an agreement with Ukraine could be signed with the next president [8] . The hostess of the summit , Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite did not hide her disappointment and took a tough stance: “There will definitely not be any deals or conspiracies with the Ukrainian leadership of the EU” [9] .
The summit participants adopted the Vilnius Declaration, calling on the post-Soviet states of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus to undertake broader democratic and economic reforms, as well as calling on Russia to respect the choice of these countries in the interests of European integration [10] .
The European Commission for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy has offered visa-free entry to the Schengen zone for Moldovans due to the fact that the Moldovan Government has successfully fulfilled all the criteria of the visa liberalization action plan [11] .
Notes
- ↑ Tanya Dekker . The heads of the EU countries gathered at the Palace of Rulers (November 28, 2013). Archived December 5, 2013. Date of treatment January 24, 2014.
- ↑ EU initialed Association Agreement with Moldova and Georgia (November 29, 2013). Date of treatment January 24, 2014.
- ↑ Vilnius Summit adopted a declaration on supporting the association of Ukraine with the EU (November 29, 2013). Date of treatment January 24, 2014.
- ↑ Yanukovych did not sign the association agreement. Timer, 11/29/2013
- ↑ Azerbaijan refused to associate with the European Union (November 25, 2013). Date of treatment January 24, 2014.
- ↑ Azerbaijan abandoned association with the European Union , 2013-11-25. Date of treatment January 24, 2014.
- ↑ Barroso: There will be no trilateral negotiations with the Russian Federation and Ukraine on the association of Kiev with the EU (November 29, 2013). Date of treatment January 24, 2014.
- ↑ Head of the European Parliament: Kiev may become closer to the EU after Yanukovych left (November 28, 2013). Date of treatment January 24, 2014.
- ↑ Finals of the Vilnius Summit: rigorous assessments of Ukraine and Russia
- ↑ The European Parliament intends to urge Russia to refrain from pressure on the countries of the Eastern Partnership (September 11, 2013). Date of treatment January 24, 2014.
- ↑ Tanya Dekker . The European Commission offered Moldova a visa-free entry into the Schengen zone (November 28, 2013). Archived January 18, 2014. Date of treatment January 24, 2014.