GEORGIA AND AZERBAIJAN FAILED TO PUSH IN A CLAUSE IN THE FINAL DECLARATION OF ‘EASTERN PARTNERSHIP’ THAT THE 33 COUNTRIES SHOULD RESPECT EACH OTHER’S ‘TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY’
ArmInfo
2009-05-08 12:28:00
ArmInfo. EU "Eastern Partnership" summit was held in Prague on May
7, during which an official was given to the programme envisaging
establishment of closer cooperation with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus,
Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. "The Eastern Partnership should not
reinstate blocks or the fight for spheres of influence", Czech Prime
Minister Mirek Topolanek said immediately before the start of the
summit. "It should not be a formal, but a pragmatic cooperation
of equal partners in the field of trade and energy security, and
also in the field of strengthening democratic principles and better
governance", he continued.
As Euobserver reports, last minute tweaks to the Eastern Partnership
summit declaration reveal EU unease over enlargement and immigration,
as well as the complexities of old conflicts on the union’s eastern
frontier.
An earlier Czech EU presidency text of 29 April referred to the 27 EU
states plus Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia
as "European countries." It also spoke of "visa-liberalisation". The
latest document, rubber-stamped by EU diplomats in Brussels on
Wednesday (6 May), renamed the six as "Eastern European Partners"
and "partner countries." It added that the visa move is a "long-term
goal". Germany and the Netherlands forced the changes, concerned that
"European countries" sounds too pro- enlargement.
The new language on visas is a far cry from pre-April Czech proposals,
which spoke of "visa-free" travel. The visa wording may see just
a privileged few, such as diplomats or businessmen, one day freely
enter the EU, while ordinary people struggle to, say, meet a friend
in Madrid or try to build a better life in London.
Meanwhile, Georgia and Azerbaijan failed to push in a clause that the
33 countries should respect each other’s "territorial integrity". The
latest wording speaks of obeying the "principles and norms of
international law".
To note, the leaders of a number of European countries, in particular,
the British prime minister, French president, as well as heads of
the governments of Italy, Spain and Austria were not present at
Prague summit.
Armenia was represented at the summit by President Serzh Sargsyan.