Association Agreements: Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine should continue with reforms

The implementation of reforms as envisaged in the Association Agreements concluded with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine must remain a priority for the benefit of their citizens. In a Resolution adopted today, the European Parliament calls on the European Commission to support the countries in implementing the Agreements, both technically and financially. It also calls on the three countries to bring forward the structural reforms and condemns the actions taken by Russia to undermine or derail the pro-European course taken by the countries.

"Ukraine remains one of the key priorities for the European Union and the EU Institutions should help Ukraine to find a way to abolish the unjust retaliatory economic measures that Russia has taken in regard to the entry-into-force of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Ukraine on 1 January 2016", stated Andrej Plenković MEP, Chairman of the EP Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee. He called on the European Commission to come up with a legislative proposal in order to include Ukraine on the list of countries which are exempt from the visa requirement and emphasised the importance of the implementation of the Minsk Agreement that should facilitate the peaceful reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories of parts of Donetsk and Lugansk Oblasts as well as the illegally annexed Crimea into the constitutional and legal order of Ukraine.

As regards Moldova, Michael Gahler MEP, EPP Group Rapporteur on Moldova, criticised the calls for snap elections and called on all parties for calm and restrain. "After months of political deadlock, the new government was eventually sworn in, giving hope that decisive and successful reforms would be implemented. The new government has to produce results. The expectations of the EU and the citizens of Moldova are high and the country has no time to lose", he stressed, calling for the rapprochement of Moldova to the EU.

Jaromir Štětina MEP, Shadow Rapporteur of the Association Agreement with Georgia, welcomed Georgia's efforts to ensure the Agreement's implementation but criticised current threats to the freedom of speech and selective justice. "The existence of political opposition is crucial for a balanced and mature political system. I very much hope that opposition leaders who are still in jail will be released soon", he stressed.