C/2024/3821

19.6.2024

Resolution by the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly on the future of the Eastern Partnership policy in the aftermath of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine: the new regional security context, internal and external challenges and opportunities as adopted on 20 March 2024

(C/2024/3821)

THE EURONEST PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY,

Considers that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is the focus of all issues related to the Eastern European neighbourhood and will determine the future of the Eastern Partnership and the countries in the region;

Welcomes the EU’s commitment to ensuring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and to providing Ukraine with political, humanitarian, economic, financial and military support;

Condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia’s continued war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as the involvement of Belarus in this war; demands that the Russian Federation cease all military activities in Ukraine and withdraw all armed forces and military equipment from within the internationally recognised territory of Ukraine; condemns the Lukashenka regime in Belarus for its active support for and full complicity in the unjustified war of aggression and war crimes against Ukraine, as well as for enabling and supporting Russia’s military aggression and Russia’s use of terrorist methods; underlines that any threat or use of force against any state is a violation of the UN Charter and the principles of international law and represents a threat to democracy and economic development, the rules-based international order and the principles and mechanisms of security and cooperation in Europe; recalls that Russia’s annexation attempts and illegal occupation of parts of the territories of Georgia and Ukraine, as well as the unresolved conflict in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova and the absence of a political solution and sustainable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan pose a serious threat to the region and to Europe as a whole;

Calls on the Russian Federation to halt its war of aggression against Ukraine and expresses its support for the Ukrainian peace formula as the only effective and realistic plan to restore a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine and security for the whole world, and notes that this formula could be used to achieve a peaceful solution for other protracted conflicts in the region on the basis of the norms of international law and the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter, including the territorial integrity of states within their internationally recognised borders;

Calls for the release of all illegally transferred, deported and detained citizens (including children) of Ukraine held in the Russian Federation and for their safe and unhindered return to Ukraine;

Denounces the illegality of the upcoming presidential elections in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, as well as in certain territories of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions of Ukraine, and strongly condemns the holding of any kind of elections in the occupied territories of Ukraine and considers their results null and void;

Calls on the Russian Federation to fulfil its international obligations, particularly to implement the EU-mediated ceasefire agreement of 12 August 2008, withdraw its forces from Georgia’s territory, allow the establishment of international security arrangements and unimpeded access for international human rights organisations on the ground, allow the return of all internally displaced persons and refugees as well as to adhere to the fundamental principles of international law and respect for its neighbouring countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity;

Considers that when adapting the Partnership to today’s reality, we need to bear in mind that some of its members are moving into the accession framework of relations with the EU, and away from the neighbourhood approach represented by the Eastern Partnership;

Considers that the Eastern Partnership needs to be rethought and recalibrated to reflect the new candidate status of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia and the inherent changes this entails for the relationship between the EU and these Eastern Partnership countries; highlights, in this regard, that the redesign of the Eastern Partnership needs to focus on the different dynamics of its Member States and give priority to those states open to EU values and principles;

10.

Stresses that although some Eastern Partnership countries have moved into the new framework of relations with the EU as candidate countries, this should not mean the Eastern Partnership structure is redundant nor that the EU can afford to scale back its engagement to supporting democracy and human rights in the other Eastern Partnership countries;

11.

Stresses the need to consider the multidimensional impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; calls for any revision of the Eastern Partnership framework to maintain its existing objectives but ensure that it is fit for purpose in the context of the changing dynamics of its members, while prioritising those that respect EU values and principles;

12.

Calls for the security dimension of the Eastern Partnership to be enhanced, as in the context of the imminent Russian threats and Russia’s political, economic and military presence, EU values and principles cannot easily be promoted by the Eastern neighbourhood states;

13.

Urges the Eastern Partnership countries to combine their efforts to strengthen national and regional security and internal stability with concrete measures to confront the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, in particular by improving defence capabilities, strengthening ties with security partners, actively participating in regional security initiatives and promoting dialogue and reconciliation in the region;

14.

Emphasises the importance of promoting dialogue and regional cooperation within the Eastern Partnership through initiatives to strengthen peace, reconciliation and sustainable development in Eastern Europe, as well as initiatives to enable the settlement of the frozen conflict on the left bank of the Nistru/Dniester River in Moldova; urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to complete the normalisation process between them as quickly as possible so as to establish inter-state relations based on the norms and principles of international law, based first and foremost on the recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity;

15.

Welcomes the Armenian Government’s decision to strengthen relations with the EU; urges the EU institutions to draw up concrete proposals on how to meet Armenia’s European aspirations;

16.

Calls on the EU to enhance the resilience and operational capacities of Eastern Partnership countries by using a variety of tools, including training and exercises, to boost compliance with the EU acquis and best practices;

17.

Urges the EU to step up assistance and tailored support to Eastern Partnership countries by developing maritime and disaster risk management capabilities and the capacity to tackle chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats;

18.

Is convinced that expanding and consolidating the cooperation between the Eastern Partnership countries will bolster the resilience of their state authorities in terms of crisis management, and that further consultations on capacity development, along with the sharing of views on the impact of implementing the temporary protection measure, will help enable better management of the response to crisis situations at national and regional levels; underlines that democratic reforms to strengthen the rule of law and the independence and accountability of institutions in the Eastern Partnership countries remain the most effective way to bolster their resilience;

19.

Underlines that, no later than by the start of the next EU multiannual financial cycle in 2028, the EU candidates – Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine will switch from the Eastern Partnership financial instruments, i.e. from the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation – Global Europe instrument, to pre-accession financial instruments, i.e. the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance; emphasises the importance of a well-organised transition allowing for the implementation of relevant bilateral and multilateral projects, whether planned or already under way, within the Eastern Partnership, including the Economic and Investment Plan for the Eastern Partnership; also expresses its interest in strengthening the institutional and administrative capacities of the Eastern Partnership states, as well as in the appropriate amendment of the rules of the 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework, so as to ensure Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine have a real opportunity to fully benefit from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance;

20.

Calls on the Eastern Partnership countries to strengthen interinstitutional and regional cooperation, as well as operational cooperation with EU programmes such as the EU Civil Protection Mechanism;

21.

Reiterates its support for continued democratic reforms in the region, as well as for the deeper integration of the Eastern Partnership countries with the EU by conditionally increasing duty-free import quotas, removing barriers for people-to-people contacts, reducing mobile phone roaming charges, expanding single European payments area (SEPA) coverage, and enhancing connectivity, including through telecommunications, transportation and energy infrastructure; notes that it is vital to include a wider range of civil society actors in monitoring reform processes;

22.

Underscores the importance of stimulating sectoral cooperation in transport, energy and other fields, also including through more engagement in Black Sea connectivity, given that some Eastern Partnership countries enjoy better strategic commercial access to Central Asia;

23.

Urges the EU to actively engage in the reconciliation process between Baku and Yerevan to secure a sustainable peace treaty acceptable to both sides; stresses the inviolability of territorial integrity and that every ceasefire violation or incendiary remark contributes to a worsening environment for reconciliation; urges the EU to step up efforts to bring about reconciliation and spearhead a sustainable peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia respecting the territorial integrity of both countries and creating mutually beneficial cooperation between them in transportation, energy, tourism, education and other areas;

24.

Calls for stronger support to Belarus’s democratic forces in the fight against the repressive and illegitimate regime of Aliaksandr Lukashenka so as to ensure a safe life and a prosperous future for the country’s citizens; urges the Commission and the Member States to provide a legal alternative to Belarusian passports for those Belarusian citizens who are unable to renew or extend the validity of their documents without returning to Belarus where they may be in danger from the illegitimate authorities; calls, in this light, on the Commission and the Member States to simplify the procedures for obtaining visas and residence permits for individuals fleeing Belarus for political reasons, as well as to draw up rules and procedures to deal with cases of statelessness;

25.

Stands firmly in solidarity with the people of Belarus and strongly reiterates its unwavering support for the Belarusian people’s aspirations for a liberated, democratic and sovereign Belarus as an integral part of a peaceful and affluent Europe;

26.

Highlights the need to develop proactive and consistent public communication and participation strategies to inform the citizens of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia about the accession process, the trajectory and timelines, and about the mandatory EU values and principles after accession, as well as allow for informed public debates on the challenges and opportunities of EU membership;

27.

Urges the Eastern Partnership countries to redouble their efforts to reduce dependence on Russian energy resources by increasing the share of renewable energy and diversifying supplies, which can play an important role in strengthening their energy security and reducing carbon emissions;

28.

Deplores Russian attacks against Ukrainian civil energy infrastructure, as well as episodes of dismantling and exporting energy equipment to Russia, including equipment from renewable energy facilities; notes that renewable energy and small modular nuclear reactors are among the country’s priorities in its rebuilding effort;

29.

Calls for ties between citizens to be strengthened through educational exchanges and cultural programmes, as they can foster mutual understanding and solidarity among Eastern Partnership countries;

30.

Calls for closer ties between state institutions and citizens by increasing transparency and strengthening the rule of law by educating citizens about its functioning principles;

31.

Urges the EU to work closely with the Eastern Partnership countries to strengthen mutual resilience in cybersecurity, identify and address cyber vulnerabilities in digital and physical infrastructure, create protected channels for information sharing, counter the disinformation campaigns, fake news, cyber threats and hybrid warfare tactics employed by Russia, pro-Russian and anti-EU groups, and other third countries or entities;

32.

Emphasises the need to address socio-economic disparities in the Eastern Partnership countries by focusing on inclusive and sustainable economic growth, sustainable job creation, especially for young people, and social welfare policies, especially in less developed regions; recommends mutually agreed policy mechanisms to prevent brain drain or social dumping;

33.

Stresses the importance of improving the situation of women, LGBTI people and at-risk groups in all Eastern Partnership countries, in terms of both respect for their human rights and increasing their meaningful participation in all levels of society;

34.

Underlines the key role of the EU’s response to the impact of the war against Ukraine by providing liquidity and mobilising the investments needed to help keep the economy of Ukraine afloat;

35.

Remains steadfast in its support for efforts to support the Ukrainian economy, which is essential for its ability to continue countering Russian aggression and sustain Ukraine’s economic fabric;

36.

Welcomes EU partners’ actions to support environmentally sustainable policies, renewable energy initiatives and climate resilience projects to promote a green transition and combat the impact of climate change in the region; recognises the importance of facilitating access to funding, technology transfers and expertise to promote sustainable development practices; stresses that all Eastern Partnership countries are signatories to the Paris Agreement and that alignment with the EU’s environmental acquis is of crucial importance for EU candidate countries; considers that it is necessary to provide financial incentives for both citizens and businesses to encourage the transition to clean energy;

37.

Recalls the significance of promoting innovation ecosystems and digital transformation by supporting start-ups and SMEs, technological advances and digital infrastructure to boost economic competitiveness within Eastern Partnership countries; recommends facilitating cross-border collaboration on research and development, so as to encourage the exchange of knowledge and expertise in emerging technologies;

38.

Calls on the international community to continue to provide and expand the critical assistance Ukraine needs to win the war, end Russian terror, ensure Ukraine’s swift and transparent recovery, and restore lasting peace in Europe.

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/3821/oj

ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)