5 EU Countries Deem Process Of Conclusion Of Association Agreement Blocked …
Sweden, Britain, the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany regard the process of signing and ratification of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union has been blocked over state of democracy in Ukraine, reads an open letter by these countries’ foreign ministers, published by The New York Times (USA) on March 4.
In this letter foreign ministers of Sweden Carl Bildt, of the UK William Hague, of the Czech Republic Karel Schwarzenberg, of Poland Radoslaw Sikorski and of Germany Guido Westerwelle stress: this day five years ago, the European Union and Ukraine started negotiations on a groundbreaking new agreement with the aim of fostering Ukraine’s political association and economic integration with the E.U.
By now, they should have been able to celebrate a signed and ratified agreement, and a successful Ukraine making progress toward even closer cooperation with the E.U. Instead, they pass a new milestone on what is becoming a much too long and painful road, the foreign minister say.
“Today, however, we are at an impasse in the association process. While negotiations on the association agreement were successfully concluded in December 2011, the way forward – through signing and ratification of the agreement – has in effect been blocked by Ukraine’s actions. The reason for this is simple: Developments in Ukraine in the last two years have caused us to question Kyiv’s intentions with respect to the fundamental values that underpin both the agreement and our relations in a broader sense,” the letter says.
The ministers note, following Viktor Yanukovych’s victory in 2010 in the presidential election, which was widely recognized as meeting international standards, Ukraine adopted an ambitious reform agenda, aiming mainly at boosting economic growth, alleviating the effects of the financial crisis and setting the country on a course toward deeper and closer ties with the E.U.
They cannot, however, conceal our growing concerns regarding the state of democracy in Ukraine.
Independent media and civil society organizations report pressure from the authorities, the letter says.
Particularly, they worry about the judicial proceedings against the opposition representatives: Yulia Tymoshenko, a former prime minister and current leader of the Batkivschyna All-Ukrainian Association party, and former Internal Affairs Minister Yurii Lutsenko.
“These trials bear the marks of politically motivated and selective justice. According to independent experts, they have been conducted in a manner that has failed to respect the principles of the rule of law and the human rights of the defendants,” the letter reads.
“In October 2012, Ukrainian voters will elect a new parliament. This will be a litmus test for democracy. On that day, the eyes of the international community will be on Ukraine, with the hope and expectation that the country will not renege on its tradition of free and fair elections. This includes ensuring that the opposition is allowed to participate fully,” the ministers declare.
As Ukrainian News earlier reported, completion of the negotiations on the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union was announced at the Ukraine-EU Summit in Kyiv on December 19, 2011.
Several experts and diplomats have expressed doubts about the signing of the agreement and its ratification by the national parliaments of the European Union’s member states – which is necessary for its introduction – because of the current state of democracy in Ukraine and particularly because of the criminal cases against former top government officials.