Politics

​EASTERN PARTNERSHIP SUMMIT CONTINUES IN RIGA

22 may, 2015

The 4th Eastern Partnership Summit is continuing in the capital of Latvia on Friday. The previous day was marked with many bilateral meetings, a business forum, and an impressive solemn dinner. And this Friday will see the Summit proper to be crowned with the adoption of a final Declaration.

Many international mass media are already saying that the forum will not bring about whatever sensational decisions. The final Declaration will not say anything concerning the provision of a European perspective to the Eastern Partnership countries. As for the question of visa regime liberalization for Georgia and Ukraine, it has been put off until next autumn.

EU Council President Donald Tusk stated on Thursday that he European Union strives for developing relations with the EaP countries.

“The European Union is heading for and striving for the Eastern Partnership as never before, despite intimidations, aggressions and even wars. The European Union wants to promote relations with all the six Eastern Partnership countries, which means specialized cooperation, raising of resistibility and state construction”, Donald Tusk wrote in the Twitter on Thursday night.

He stated also that one should not expect a big leap in Riga, and that the Summit will be only a new step in the process aimed at a long perspective.

“I can understand that the strivings and expenditures of the eastern partners as well as of their politicians and commentators are above reality in Europe. But I am convinced that the possible results of the Riga Summit lie somewhere between the reality in Europe today and the EaP countries’ strivings. Of course, this is insufficient. But this is much more than what we could expect in the context of political positions in Europe nowadays”, said Donald Tusk.

During the Riga Summit, statements were heard repeatedly that the EU membership is not at all the topic of the European Union’s Eastern Partnership project. In particular, such sayings were heard from President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The New York Times wrote before the Summit that European politicians are not going to promise former Soviet republics whatever perspective of EU membership, and that this may make Moldova get disappointed with Europa and start thinking of cooperation with Russia.

The newspaper referred to the words of Daniela Morari, Director of the Department for Political Cooperation with the European Union at the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, who stated to journalists that the European Union is losing to Russia its battle for Moldovans’ minds and hearts.

“Presently, the feuding pro-European politicians in Moldova, like their Ukrainian colleagues, too, have stained themselves with their incapacity to combat corruption or to build a functional state to such a degree that many Moldovans now think that Russia looks more attractive”, said Daniela Morari.

The American newspaper quoted also a high-ranked European diplomat who believes that Moldovan politicians were simply deluding the European Union.

“The Moldovan politicians were singing very well a European song to impress Brussels. In the reality, they discredited their own pro-European parties and the European Union. As a result, the Moldovan grassroots now think that Russia cannot be worse”, said the diplomat from Brussels.

Add Comment

Add Comment

  • name
  • email
  • message
Thanks!
Your comment will be published after administrator approval.