The European Parliament calls for limiting the EU to a decisive policy to protect the countries of the Eastern Partnership

Baku/16.09.21/Turan: On September 16 the European Parliament adopted the resolution “Direction of political relations between Russia and the EU”, in which it calls the Putin regime the biggest challenge to European security, recommends that the EU strengthen sanctions and reduce dependence on oil and gas from the Russian Federation.

Regarding the Eastern Partnership Policy, the European Parliament recommends that the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR), by strengthening their own defense capabilities and putting pressure on the Russian authorities to ensure that they do not interfere in the Eastern and Southern areas of the EU; in particular, the EU should require Russia to make commitments, including to the EU and international organizations such as the OSCE or the UN, to resolve current conflicts and prevent any future conflicts, starting with the return of occupied and illegally annexed territories in the Eastern Partnership region in accordance with their internationally recognized borders and respecting the choice of the EU countries, Euro-Atlantic and democracy.

Parliamentarians believe that the EU could propose at the upcoming conference on the future of Europe an expanded cooperation strategy to prepare for a new impetus for the European integration of the EU's Eastern Neighborhood and support the successful development of EU-oriented EaP countries, the EU should maintain a realistic perspective on the membership of the Eastern Partnership countries in the EU, thus keeping them motivated to carry out further reforms.

The European Parliament calls on the EU to continue to support the fulfillment by Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus of the political, democratic, social and legal criteria of the EU, on which the EU Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union are based.

The EU should promote a more ambitious integration strategy for the Eastern Partnership countries that have an Association Agreement with the EU. Thus, the EU will motivate such countries to carry out reforms, including by offering them a model based on the “everything but institutions” model, giving them all the benefits of EU integration, such as access to common EU policies, EU financial resources and EU jurisdiction. while keeping the door to future EU membership open.

The document pays special attention to energy. MEPs believe that the EU should be ready to restrict oil and gas imports from the Russian Federation if Moscow "continues its threats against the EU states and military activity against the Eastern Partnership member states: Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Belarus, Azerbaijan and Armenia. -0-