The summit held by Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova in the Georgian Black Sea city of Batumi culminated in a declaration on Monday (July 19), calling on the EU to recognize the prospect of these countries becoming full members of the EU. EURACTIV A report from Batumi.
Summit declarationSigned by the Presidents Salome Zourabishvili (Georgia), Volodymyr Zelenskiy (Ukraine) and Maia Sandu (Moldova), it is another step for the three associate members of the Liberation Eastern Partnership (EaP).
The Eastern Partnership was launched in 2008 and manages the relationship between the European Union and six post-Soviet countries, including Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.
But the trio did not want to be hindered by the other three members of EaP, who believed that these three members had different agendas: Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Belarus.
One of the highlights of the summit was the speech of Charles Michel, President of the European Council, who praised the trio summit as “an important milestone.”
“We welcome the trio’s initiative to promote coordination among relevant partners and with Brussels. This can lead to sharing of best practices in reforms, implementation and the broader future agenda,” said Michele, delighting the host.
So far, the EU has been cautious about supporting initiatives that do not come from Brussels. But the EU now no longer avoids using the “trio” expression, despite the continuing tensions between Georgia and Ukraine, Michel is acting as a mediator.
Michel’s speech at the summit seemed to have developed a personal affinity for the region. He paid tribute to the fact that Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine are celebrating the 30th anniversary of independence from the former Soviet Union-in his words, “a generation hard-won Sometimes suffer painful setbacks.”
“Your country is facing interference or aggression. This is not an easy journey,” Michel said of the conflict zones created by Russia: Transnistria in Moldova, Abkhazia in Georgia and South Austria. Seti, as well as the annexation of Crimea and the conflict with Russia. Donbass in Ukraine.
Michel reminded that the European Union created EaP 12 years ago. He said that this partnership has now become a reality, benefiting all citizens of the relevant countries and the European Union.
Regarding the upcoming EaP summit in Brussels in December, he said that the EU will remain a strong and reliable partner in the region, but it relies on the commitment of countries to advance reforms-“not to please Brussels, but for yours. Interests. Your own people and your own society”.
Michelle reminded that when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Europe, the EU responded to the needs of six EaP partners and raised 2.5 billion euros together with the European Investment Bank to support them in responding to the health crisis and from Recovery in the economic recession.
Speaking of other challenges — economic growth, climate change, digital transformation, and the promotion of a fair and inclusive society — he said that EaP should be a launch pad for enhanced cooperation in all these areas and act as a catalyst for democracy, good governance, and laws.
He said that the relevant agreements with these three countries have increased trade by 45% in some cases, and the free trade zone they created can provide more, enabling them to compete in the global market.
Michel called the results of visa liberalization between Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova “impressive.” He said that so far, more than 500,000 of their citizens have benefited from visa-free travel, and their younger generation has benefited from 80,000 exchanges under the Erasmus+ program.
The President of the Council of Europe mentioned that good governance is the key word for conveying the message of national elites to their citizens.
“Good governance is the key to unlocking the benefits of freedom and democracy,” he emphasized.
The summit was held in the afternoon, and throughout the morning, Michel mediated between the Georgian opposition and Iraq’s Ligari Bashvili, and encountered new setbacks in resolving the deep internal political crisis.
By introducing competitive benchmarks for key reforms, Michel made recommendations on how to promote closer cooperation between the three relevant partners. In his words, this will help stimulate reform momentum, increase mutual support between partners, and help ensure closer relations between countries and the EU.
The host of the summit, Salome Zourabishvili (Salome Zourabishvili) said that despite Georgia’s polarization, Georgia’s European future is one of the undisputed areas of consensus among political parties.
She emphasized that despite many challenges, including Russia’s occupation of parts of the country, Georgia’s EU aspirations have never wavered. She thanked Ukrainian President Volodmir Zelensky for visiting the border with Abkhazia earlier in the day, Abkhazia, a vast Georgian region occupied by Russia after a brief war in 2008.
Zurabischvili said that the Batumi Conference further proved that her country has received support and encouragement. “It also means we have to do more and faster,” she added.
“The Batumi Conference is a moment to assess the EU’s re-engagement in the region,” Zourabishvili continued. “President Michel personally participated in Georgia’s internal political process, as well as his recent visit to our two Caucasus neighbours, as well as EaP’s partners, and discussions on important projects in the region, marking the importance of neighbouring countries to the European Union. It will be democratic, stable and safe,” she said.
Michel visited Armenia and Azerbaijan before arriving in Georgia, Pledged that the EU will be more involved in finding a solution for the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Some of Zura Bishvili’s messages are aimed at domestic audiences. “Any internal disagreement will only weaken our goals and the resolve of our partners, and we should avoid it at all costs,” she warned.
Moldovan President Maya Sandu impressed the audience with her modesty. She arrived with a small delegation and spoke briefly at the meeting without taking off her mask.
Zelensky of Ukraine is the only leader who speaks his mother tongue. His focus is on Russian aggression against his country and his visit to the Abkhaz border.
“If Brussels and the European Union do not express iron support for the European ambitions of our three countries, then there will be people displaying the steel muscles of their weapons near the borders of our three countries. In my opinion, this is not only for our three countries. The threat is also a threat to the entire continent,” Zelensky said.
“Russia poses a threat to the entire continent, and that’s why we don’t understand why we didn’t hear our country’s voice at the European Future Conference,” the Ukrainian president continued. Zelensky said through an interpreter that if some countries are considered less important, then this is not a conference on the future of Europe.
At the end of the summit, the four presidents visited the Petra Fortress in the south of Batumi. The fortress was built in the 6th century and was ruled by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.
[Edited by Frédéric Simon]
