NGOS IN VILNIUS FORUM SAY EU NEIGHBORHOOD POLICY FELL SHORT OF EXPECTATIONS

Vilnius BNS WWW-Text
03 May 2006

[“EU Neighbourhood Policy Fell Short Of Expectations – Ngos In Vilnius”
– BNS headline]

VILNIUS, May 03, (BNS) – The enlargements of the EU and NATO have
made Europe more secure than ever before, however, the European
neighbourhood policy fell short of expectations because human rights,
freedom and democracy are yet to come to Belarus and Russia, while
“frozen” conflicts are still smoking in Moldova, Georgia, Nagorno
Karabakh and Chechnya, reads a resolution adopted at an international
forum of non-governmental organizations in Vilnius.

According to the conclusions passed at the forum held in the framework
of the conference Common Vision for Common Neighbourhood, the EU’s
Neighbourhood Policy “has not lived up to expectations for a truly
common foreign policy effort.” “The policy’s focus on the new Eastern
European democracies should be reinforced. Anchoring these countries
to the Euro-Atlantic community is a strategic imperative for Europe’s
long term security,” reads the document.

“The EU needs a bolder, more consistent and coherent foreign and
security policy towards the Europe’s East before it is “too little,
too late.” The EU has to develop an active policy for promotion of
democracy as well as adequate instruments to support in a direct
and flexible manner democratic entities and civil societies in the
Eastern Europe,” the conclusions suggest.

According to the resolution, “Europe’s re-unification project cannot
be finished without the new Eastern European democracies. The
Euro-Atlantic community needs a common vision and a concerted,
imaginative effort, encompassing political, economic, social, and,
when necessary, military measures.” “Europe’s power of attraction
may not be sufficient to offset Russia’s power of compulsion,” read
the conclusions.

Participants of the forum said that the EU and NATO should not shy
away from raising difficult questions to Russia about its ambiguous
role in the “frozen conflicts” and support to regimes that hold
rigged elections. The official Russian support to Belarusian hard-line
President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime especially compromises Russia’s
democratic credentials, they said.

“The people of Belarus should not suffer because of a criminal
regime. The EU and NATO should continue a consistent policy line of
isolating and pressuring Lukashenko’s regime, while reinvigorating
efforts to help the fledgling civil society of Belarus, which has made
its voice heard during the recent fraudulent presidential elections
in Belarus. As anti-democratic forces have proven in Serbia and
Montenegro, Georgia, and Ukraine, tanks and guns cannot overwhelm
the spirit of freedom,” they noted in the conclusions.

The document passed by the NGOs also speaks about the “double
challenge” that the countries of the Community of Democratic Choice –
first and foremost Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova – face: they must
carry out rapid, painful and all-encompassing domestic reforms; and at
the same time prove their democratic, European credentials. According
to the resolution, the Eastern European countries must understand
that integration is a two way street – whatever the political
and strategic considerations, both the EU and NATO will condition
membership perspective upon an aspirant’s ability to meet the strict
membership criteria.

Forum participants also agreed that the improvement of energy security
should be one of Europe’s political and economic priorities.

“Russia’s use of energy supplies as a geopolitical tool causes
a particular concern, prompting to the need for the EU to
launch a common energy strategy in the face of a common security
challenge. (…) Europe should also seek to further diversification
of the sources of supply both according to geographic origin and
resource base and devise vigorous programmes for the development of
alternative sources of energy,” read the conclusions.

The document also reminds that the Russian Kaliningrad region must
be kept on European neighbourhood agenda because Russia has not yet
delivered on its promises to turn this region into a pilot project
in EU-Russia relations. The EU and its member states should continue
pursuing active relations with the region to ease its international
isolation, imposed by Russia. Otherwise, the EU may face numerous soft
security challenges stemming from Kaliningrad due to worsening social,
economic and crime situation and degrading health and environment
standards.

The forum of non-governmental organizations is attended by NGO
representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, the Czech Republic,
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,
Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden,
Ukraine and the United States.

A conference of state leaders will take place in Vilnius on Thursday
and will be attended by presidents of Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria,
Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, US vice-president,
EU’s high commissioner for common foreign and security policy, and
officials of EU and Eastern European countries.

Vilnius Conference 2006: Common Vision for Common Neighbourhood is held
by Lithuanian and Polish presidents, Valdas Adamkus and Lech Kaczynski.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress