Greece to Lobby New Agreement Between Ukraine and EU
Greece hopes that during the six months of its chairmanship in the European Union, Kyiv and Brussels will determine which document will be further used as a basis for Ukraine’s relationship with the EU. To quote Russos Kunduros, spokesman of the Greek mission at the EU, the European Commission should map out a strategy of relations with future EU neighbors, Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus, before March, after which this document will be submitted for the consideration of the Council of the European Union. Mr. Kunduros went on to say that EU enlargement should not harm the interests of new neighbors.
Notably, the program of cooperation between the EU and other European nonmember states presented by Greece reads that the EU realizes the need to search for different approaches to Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova, “in view of the fundamental differences in the political and economic situations in these countries.” In this context, the Athens’ stand agrees with the wish formerly expressed by the EU to work out a “new neighbor initiative” with regard to these three countries. Thus far it is anyone’s guess how different these approaches will be. However, judging from the statements by representatives of both EU bodies and Greece, it is clear that today nobody is talking of drafting, say, a new separate program of cooperation with Ukraine, such as PHARE, instead of TACIS, which was developed for all post-Soviet republics and does not provide for their joining the EU in future.
At the preset stage, Greece claims that in its relations with Kyiv, Minsk, and Chisinau, the EU can make full use of standing agreements. During his visit to Ukraine in the summer of last year, Greek Premier Konstantinos Simitis referred to the agreements under which our country is developing its relations with the European Union as “insufficiently effective.” Then he promised that during its chairmanship in the EU, Athens will broach the issue of livening up relations between Ukraine and the EU. Last year, during the visit to Athens by Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Anatoly Zlenko, his Greek counterpart, Georgios Papandreu, raised even more hopes. “During Greek chairmanship in the EU, Athens will press for an agreement on associate membership between Ukraine and the EU,” the Associated Press agency quoted Premier Papandreu as saying. However, at that time, relations between Ukraine and the EU were not soured by the Kolchuga scandal.
Statements that can be heard today from Greece, which, in fact, is a West European lobbyist of our interests, are evidence that Athens has not gone back on its promises. However, now the Greek side chooses its words more carefully, which is no wonder. After all, Greece is speaking not only as a member of bilateral relations, but also as the EU chair. The general tone of statements by EU representatives with regard to Ukraine has remained unchanged. The other day, Christina Gallah, spokeswoman of the EU High Commissioner for Foreign Policy and Security, said that the development of relations between Brussels and Kyiv will depend to a great extent on political stability and economic reforms, as well as on whether Kyiv will be able to establish a political system consistent with political systems of EU member states, reports the Deutsche Welle.
As for the priorities established by Greece during its EU chairmanship, Ukraine will one way or another be affected by the issues of EU enlargement, Europe’s future, migration, and foreign relations. Notably, relations with Ukraine and Caucasian states are referred to as a part of a fundamental parameter of the policy aimed at ensuring stability. By contrast, on behalf of the EU, Greece will propose that West- Balkan states begin the preparatory stage of their accession to the EU. Bulgaria and Romania will be offered a new, improved version of the strategy of accession to the EU, while Turkey has been given promises that during the Greek chairmanship, a document entitled “partnership for accession” will be drafted.
