Æóðíàë Viche 2013 ¹23

¹23, 2013

EU + Ukraine ≠ Association Agreement ... The summit of “Eastern Partnership” and further cooperation

Several months of tense waiting fueled by hope for positive realization of the Vilnius summit countries - participants of the initiative “Eastern Partnership” (28-29 November 2013) by the majority of political forces, leading European officials and, ultimately, ordinary citizens, unfortunately, did not come true in terms of implementation of Ukraine's European Project: a long period of cooperation with the EU, which had to be completed with the signing of the Association Agreement and deep and comprehensive free trade zone between the partners, will continue on the new terms based on the suggestions and warnings from the Ukrainian side.

“European choice remains for Ukraine a strategic direction for the further civilization development, strengthening the place and role of the country in today's competitive world. Forced break during the signing of agreement does not mean the cessation of essential to its European integration reforms”- said the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, speaking to the participants in the plenary session of the summit on 29 November.

Claiming Ukrainian State to postpone the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU first Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Arbuzov said that our government has not changed its position and “is heading to Europe” because there was no “turn” to the selected target. However, the feature of the political decisions that were taken during the preparation of the agreement was the consideration of evaluation of the economic and political risks.

For his part member of the European Parliament, Co-EP Mission in Ukraine Pat Cox during a plenary session “Ukrainian Course” held on 28 November at the meeting of heads of committees for Foreign Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union and the Parliamentary Forum for Democracy, said that “no figures are official” “The EU has not received the documents that would confirm the validity of these calculations. Therefore they should not be discussed”- he said.

It is important that the participants of the summit announced the possibility of further EU support of the modernization of the Ukrainian gas transportation system which is a key component of European energy network. Because only during 2008-2012 EU localized 87 million Euro which was spent during the implementation period of the realization of single Ukrainian energy policy.

But the key in this regard were not a political negotiations but the reaction of civil society which acted as a main proponent of the European idea, a kind of catalyst for continued close cooperation with the European Union. It is the desire of Ukraine’s refusal of opportunistic multidirectional strategy expressed by the people's will, became the stimulus which is now pushing Brussels to continue cooperation.

Yulia TSYRFA