During the fifth Eastern Partnership summit on Friday 24 November, the heads of state and government of the EU and Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) again affirmed their resolve to strengthen their cooperation.
Their final declaration says that the summit participants look forward to further increasing the dynamism and effectiveness of their deeper and wider cooperation as part of the Eastern Partnership, highlighting concrete benefits for their citizens. The leaders also say that strengthened cooperation and a comprehensive future-oriented political dialogue are essential for addressing common challenges and attaining common objectives.
While their declaration highlights a differentiated approach between the partner countries, the partner states' prospect of EU accession – wanted by Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova – once again goes unmentioned (see EUROPE 11910). The declaration says that the summit participants recognise the European aspirations and European choice of the partners concerned, as indicated in the association agreements. The declaration thus repeats word for word the declaration from the last Eastern Partnership summit in Riga in 2015 (see EUROPE 11320). It also highlights the sovereign right of each partner to choose the level of ambition and objectives to which it aspires in its relations with the EU. "The countries of the European continent must have an outlook (of accession) but now is not the right time", Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said.
Not a partnership of confrontation
The leaders' declaration also says that the partnership has the objective of building an area of shared democracy, prosperity and stability and that it is not directed against anyone (implying Russia). "The partnership is not against Russia. It is not a geopolitical beauty contest between the EU and Russia", European Council President Donald Tusk said during the press conference. According to one European source, Russia was reportedly mentioned by several speakers during the discussions – be this in the context of aggression or of propaganda. "We are caught in the crossfire between Russia and the EU. We need to get away from this rhetoric of confrontation", Belarus' Foreign Affairs Minister Vladimir Makei stated.
The leaders also hail the adoption of the cooperation framework ("20 concrete results to be obtained by 2020"). These results focus on four areas for priority action: a stronger economy, governance, connectivity and society. "We want to strengthen the cooperation of the Eastern Partnership in a number of specific areas such as small and medium-sized enterprises, the digital economy, investment in broadband, and investment in infrastructure projects and transport and energy projects", Tusk stated.
Harmonising digital markets
The partners also agreed to cooperate on harmonising digital markets in order to extend the benefits of the single digital market to the partner countries. The annex to the declaration says that this harmonisation will be encouraged as part of the EU4Digital initiative and it adds that cooperation should focus on the independence of national telecoms regulators, the harmonisation of roaming charges, cybersecurity and digital innovation.
In their declaration, the leaders also highlight the main principles of cooperation, especially as regards the commitment of the participants to strengthen democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the fundamental freedoms, and as regards the principles and standards of international legislation, as well as the pursuit of reforms. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told press that "if the reforms were conducted well, this would strengthen investors' trust in the whole region". Other areas mentioned were supporting trade between the EU and the partners, and between the partner countries themselves, as well as developing connectivity (see other article) and strengthening contact between the populations (especially between young people).
Strengthening strategic communication
In their declaration, the leaders also agree to strengthen strategic communication. They thus "agreed on the need to further strengthen work on strategic communication, and to work on fostering the visibility of cooperation between the EU and the Eastern Partnership countries, as well as on raising the public's awareness and of revealing disinformation". The leaders also underline the importance of strengthening the public's awareness of cooperation as part of the Eastern Partnership.
The partners highlight communication in the annex joined to the declaration, which focuses on 20 concrete results to be obtained by 2020. They thus state that strengthened strategic communication, which is clearer and more tailor-made, especially through the activities of stratcom EAST, will lead to a better understanding of the EU among the citizens of the Eastern neighbourhood and of the partner countries, and a better understanding of the Eastern Partnership among European citizens. The declaration adds that support for the plurality of the media, and media independence in the partner countries will continue to improve responsibility and resilience in the face of disinformation.
The East stratcom task force has been operational since 2015 within the European External Action Service. Comprising 14 members, it has the mission of communicating EU policies on the Eastern neighbourhood, and of strengthening the overall media environment in the Eastern neighbourhood and in the EU member states, including support for media freedom and strengthening independent media, and improving the EU's ability to predict, manage and respond to disinformation activities conducted by external actors.
Fostering conflict resolution
And at a time when the Eastern Partnership is scattered with conflicts, the leaders' declaration says that the participants remain concerned about the continuing violations of the principles of international law in many parts of the region. The leaders thus call for renewed efforts to foster a peaceful resolution of conflicts, on the basis of the principles and standards of international law. The EU reiterates its commitment to support the territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of all these partners. Armenia and Azerbaijan are torn over Nagorno-Karabakh, Ukraine is confronted with the annexation of Crimea and the conflict in the east, Moldova is in conflict with its separatist region Transnistria, and Georgia with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Although these conflicts are not mentioned in the declaration, Tusk was more direct. He stated that the EU would "never" recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea, and he went on to say that the death of five military personnel in Ukraine the previous day "was the latest proof of the tragic consequences of Russian aggression in Ukraine". (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with Lucas Tripoteau)