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EU: Association Agreement With Ukraine Not Final Goal

February 10, 2014
by Rikard Jozwiak

BRUSSELS -- EU foreign ministers have reiterated that the European Union remains committed to signing an Association Agreement with Ukraine, but that the agreement 'does not constitute the final goal in EU-Ukraine relations.'

In a statement following a meeting in Brussels, the ministers also called for a 'new and inclusive government' and constitutional reform in Ukraine to help resolve the country's political crisis.

They said the EU was ready to help Kyiv address its economic problems, together with international partners, 'on the basis of a new Ukrainian government pursuing economic and political reforms.'

The ministers did not impose sanctions on officials responsible for the crackdown on Ukraine but said the EU 'follows with deep concern' the continuing political crisis in Ukraine and 'remains ready to respond quickly to any deterioration on the ground.'

The EU's foreign-policy chief, Catherine Ashton, told journalists before the meeting that Brussels' main aim was to support the dialogue between the government and the opposition in Ukraine and that discussions were ongoing with other partners about possible economic support.

'We stand ready to support the process of dialogue, which is so important, to try and end the situation there,' Ashton said. 'And we stand ready, too, within the reforms that need to be made with our economic support. And we are in touch with many other countries and institutions on this issue.'

EU officials that RFE/RL has spoken to say that EU sanctions on Ukrainian officials responsible for the crackdowns on protesters in recent months aren't even on the table at the moment, with the bloc fearing that an introduction of restrictive measures will only make it harder to facilitate a political dialogue in the country.

Some are also saying that EU sanctions on Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka and people in his regime, imposed in 2011, have failed to have the desired effect.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said that the EU must send a message to Kyiv in case there is further repression in Ukraine.

'I think it is important that we send a message, that we have sent before, that if there is a further repression or significant repression or violent clampdown, there will be consequences,' Bildt said.

'We sent that message before, and as a matter of fact what happened was, of course, that the package of extremely repressive laws was withdrawn. That was a good thing. We have seen the resignation of a government that was fairly discredited to be quite honest. That was a good thing. But the political talks have not been moving forward. We would hope that they will be resumed. That is the only way forward.'

The foreign ministers were also to discuss the future of the Eastern Partnership. There have been worries that both Georgia and Moldova might walk away from signing Association Agreements with the EU later this year because of Russian economic pressure.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said ahead of the talks that it might be time to offer a 'European perspective' to the Eastern neighbors -- meaning that they one day can become EU members.

'I believe we should discuss very seriously [the] perspective of the partnerships,' Linkevicius said. 'What could be the option, as the European perspective for them, the way to go. Not only to stay where we are, because the association process is not the finality of the game. It should also be discussed among the ministers.'

A majority of EU member states are against this move, however, at least for the moment.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/eu-ukraine- eastern-partnership/25258741.html

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EU: Association Agreement With Ukraine Not Final Goal