16:01 16.03.2012

Commissioner Fule calls for intensification of interaction between Kyiv and Brussels before signing the Association Agreement

10 min read
Commissioner Fule calls for intensification of interaction between Kyiv and Brussels before signing the Association Agreement Exclusive interview of Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle with Interfax-Ukraine Q: Commissioner, you already have had a meeting with new first deputy of prime-minister, who is responsible for the EU direction Mr. Khoroshkovsky. Do you think he will be able to continue this cooperation with EU as Mr. Kliuyev did? What is your opinion on yours new vis-à-vis? A: Point number one. It is absolutely up to the authorities in Kiev to appoint people to position in government and to put in charge with the EU people they believe will be the best to do the job. Point number two is my full commitment to work with him on a number of challenging issues. I made very strong point: I am also keen, in addition to the professional relationship, which I hope we will be able to strengthen and strengthen, to establish a good personal relationship as I had with former deputy prime-minister, the relationship which sometimes is needed to tackle the most sensitive issues in constructive and effective way. Q: Do you think that it is really possible from technical aspect, if situation will go well in Ukraine, to sign AA in autumn as you said before or it will take more time, in next year, for example? A: The assumption I'm working with is that by the end of March AA will be initialled and the assumption is that the Treaty should be in fit state technically to be ready for signature towards the end of this year. Q: I would like to come back to the recent event in the EU-Ukraine relationship: February 28. Ambassador Teixeira accused president Yanukovych's pledges to fight corruption and to create an attractive business climate have produced no such result. Same day – ministry of foreign affair made a statement on Mr.Teixeira, next date – statement from EC supporting ambassador, next date – statement of the group of the EU ambassadors in the Ukraine… It is look like an information war. What is going on? Is it over now? A: As far as Brussels is concerned it is over and should be over. I hope no one is interested to go back to this issue. Because what had happened is taking us away from the very substance of our relationship. We have been able to conclude this AA by the end of the year. Now the most important question for me is what is going to happen in the period between the end of negotiations and eventual signing of the AA. My preference is to see this period as a period of intensified engagement on the number of issues, rather than a time when instead of pragmatism we will be following emotions and playing the games which do not belong to the relationship between Kiev and Brussels. Q: You said quite important words – “intensified engagement”, “personal relationship”. Don't you think that now EU and Ukraine have a gap in the communication, there is a gap in the understanding? Because right now situation looks like deaf talking to the blind – EU sincerely believe that they are right, the same is true for Ukraine. May be it is a time to have more meetings, more dialogue? A: I have already said at an earlier occasion that unfortunately what I see at this stage in our relationship is a series of paradoxes. And what you are asking about is actually one of those paradoxes. I can not agree in general that what you are saying is true, because otherwise how come than we were able after years of negotiation to conclude text of AA. Let me say quite clearly that I'm not talking about any kind of agreement, I'm talking about the most ambitious agreement EU has ever negotiated with any partner. That is why it hardly could be this kind of lack in dialog and communication. Ukrainian leadership also was very much involved in this dialog. I spend hours with prime-minister, first deputy of prime-minister, also with president in talking about AA so that we could conclude the negotiation by the time of the summit in December. But at the same time you are absolutely right, mentioning that I'm talking about the need now to strengthen engagement between now and the time of the signature. Because – and this is a paradox – after being able to negotiate such an important agreement which is a result of hours and hours of an intensive negotiation, we are facing now the period where we don't have such a process which will enable us to continue this active discussions with Kiev. Q: Do you see solution for this? A: Of course, I see solutions. This is what I'm discussing on a regular basic with Ukrainian partner. This is what I had discussed two weeks ago for the first time during a meeting with new first deputy prime-minister. My point is very clear – our agenda is very comprehensive. The fact that we have finalised an agreement does not mean that we should accept that the intensive engagement we had in negotiation the text of the treaty will not be here when we have to focus on a number of other important items on the reform agenda. Q: On the reform agenda. Recently group of German politicians published an article on the foreign policy of German and Eastern partnership. One of the main points in this article is that reforms can't be a condition for cooperation but a goal. Do you think that EU putting as a condition for cooperation with Ukraine reform which suppose to be a goal? A: There is no need to put forward such conditions, because this is something what Ukraine committed itself. When we have launched Eastern partnership we all agreed that this will be joint endeavour based on our commitment to the universal values. Last year two important things happened in the framework of new Neighbourhood policy which has a great relevance to Ukraine. The first one was that for the first time the Commission together with High Representative, Vice President of EC Catherine Ashton have made it clear that at the end of EaP there is no concrete wall between the EaP and EU. We made it clear that actually the values, the EaP is based on, are the same values the article 49 of the Lisbon Treaty refers to. We made it for the first time clearly that the county which is working on the principle and objective of EP is working on its one European agenda and not only getting closer to the EU, but actually also getting close to the eventual at the certain time, referring to the article 49. I think that was very significant development for Ukraine and other EaP countries. Second what is happened we have put forward a number of principles of new ENP. One of them is “more for more”. This principle does not apply for the South only. More for more applies for the whole neighbourhood. And the interpretation is not that we give you more attention, more money and you will do more reforms. No. The principle “more for more” works – you commit yourself to reforms. The more you deliver on then the more EU will be ready to support. And Ukraine as any of our neighbour should not expect anything else but us being committed to this principle and following this principle. Q: In the case if Yulia Tymoshenko will not participate in the upcoming parliamentary election will EU recognise it? A: Yes and no. I think we made it very clear that no one is outside the law and who ever has committed a crime needs to be hold responsible for that. What ever profession you are, what-ever position you have, once you break the law you have to be held responsible. That the first principle. The second principle is that this responsibility of course covers a criminal responsibility. If person is being judged and send to the prison for exercising a political responsibility and as a bases of that verdict you use articles which originate in Soviet legislation (364, 365) then you have all reasons to talk about selective justice. Now when at the time of the elections you have representatives of the oppositions in the prison based on the use of selective justice of course you should expect that it would have clear consequences on how this election to be perceived. Q: but if opposition will win? A: Our position is not based on who is going to win our position is based on certain principles. Q: I do remember when you came in to your office you were quit enthusiastic about cooperation with Ukraine. Do you still feel the same now? A: I do, I am still very enthusiastic. Look, since I joined the Commission, we have achieved the agreement on most complex and most far reaching political and free trade agreement between the EU and a partner country. Number two. Ukraine was the first Eastern partner, we have opened a new chapter on the visa liberalisation, on Visa Action Plan which should bring benefits to all Ukrainians once Ukraine deliver technical conditions. We were able to present through the news neighbourhood policy and through streamlining EP much clear vision for all Ukrainians about how to get closer to the EU and the benefits for the all Ukraine. But does this issue of the paradoxes work there too? Yes, it does. Because we achieved all of that, but there is a clear political conditionality on a signing of this most far reaching agreement between Ukraine and EU. Q: In this case does political condition refer only to a signing of AA or for whole relationship between EU and Ukraine? A: The quality of the relationship depends not only on the words and political commitments but on the concrete deeds as far as Ukrainians stakeholders are concerned. Why I'm talking about stakeholders? Because the authority they play very important part but there is also an opposition, there is also civil society. Do we care about some of stakeholders only? No, we care about all of stakeholders – we care about all Ukrainians. I'm still confident that ambitions programmes, we have put forward together with High Representative, vice-president of EC Catherine Ashton when we have seen a new president at the time of inauguration with this famous matrix it is still the best programme for Ukraine and citizen. Q: I understand it, but if nothing happened after election can we expect number of event, number of activities will goes done? Can we expect Belarusian scenario vis-à-vis Ukraine? A: I'm not working with a crystal ball. I'm working with the principles, values, interests and based on that I don't see any need for a black scenario in the relationship between EU and Ukraine. On the contrary. But this relationship clearly needs to be based not on us compromising on the values, on the fundamental freedoms and rule of law, but on the strengthening them, on strengthening the democratic institution, on strengthening the democracy in Ukraine.
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