Brussels, 20/05/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European Union and Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) will meet in Riga on Thursday 21 and Friday 22 May for a summit to take stock of their relations.
The summit will be the opportunity “to re-assert the importance that the EU and six partners attach to the Eastern Partnership”, a senior European official commented. According to this official, “all the partner countries want to deepen and intensify their relations with the EU, and the EU is open to this”. Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova have signed an association agreement with the EU, while Belarus and Armenia are part of the Eurasian Union with Russia - and Azerbaijan does not want to join either of the two groups. “We are engaged with each of them in different phases”, the senior official stated. “The key word is differentiation”, the official continued.
After a summit in Vilnius in 2013 during which the Ukrainian president refused to sign the association agreement with the EU (which led to the Maidan events), the summit in Riga should be more calm and run-of-the-mill. Although an announcement on visa liberalisation for Georgia and Ukraine was expected, it will not in the end be made. On 8 May, the European Commission published its progress reports which, while underlining the progress of these two countries, add that some criteria still need to be fulfilled (see EUROPE 11311). The summit is nevertheless expected to be the opportunity to re-assert that the increased mobility of citizens remains a “key objective” of the Eastern Partnership.
There will not be any official launch of new negotiations for a framework agreement with Armenia either - contrary to what European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn had hoped (see EUROPE 11278). The Commission adopted a recommendation to the Council on 19 May aiming to authorise the start of these negotiations (see other article) but the Council still has to give its approval.
The leaders are also expected to call for the continuation of reforms - particularly as regards independence of the judicial authorities, the effective prevention and fight against corruption, and public administration. They may also discuss energy policy and the Eastern Partnership's trade dimension (including improvement of the business environment). The summit will therefore be the opportunity to announce a €200 million fund for the deep and comprehensive free trade area for SMEs from Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. It will also enable SMEs to request investment from financial institutions (particularly the EBRD and EIB), which will allow a leverage effect of up to €3 billion.
While the leaders may discuss the conflict in Ukraine and the efforts for de-escalation and a political solution to this crisis, the summit “is not for getting involved” in resolving the conflict, the senior official stated.
On the sidelines of the summit, European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis will sign a memorandum of understanding on the third macro-financial assistance package of €1.8 billion for 2015 and 2016. The package was proposed by the Commission at the start of February (see EUROPE 11226), then adopted by the European Parliament in March and by the Council in April.
Once again, one of the issues on hold is the terminology that will be used in the final statement about the future of the Eastern Partnership. “We haven't seen any European perspective in any statement since the [constitutive] summit in Prague [in 2009]. The issue [of enlargement] is not on the agenda at this stage. We're not saying 'yes' or 'no', but we're talking about implementation of what has been agreed (…) If the implementation is a success, the issue will perhaps be raised again”, the European source stated. In the view of Luxembourg's foreign minister Jean Asselborn (who will represent his country at the Riga summit), “there is a debate in the EU where it's necessary to find a balance between solidarity and the notion of the policy of enlargement - which is not easy”.
The member states will be represented by their head of state or government - except for Spain, Luxembourg and Ireland, which will be represented at ministerial level. The presidents of Armenia, Ukraine and Moldova will also attend the summit - as will the prime minister of Georgia and the foreign minister of Azerbaijan. Belarus is expected to attend at political level but no name has yet been confirmed. The presidents of the European Commission, European Council and European Parliament will also be there - as will High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn and European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström.
The summit will be preceded by a media conference, a civil society conference and business forum. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)