Dalia GRYBAUSKAITE: “Lithuania has been and will be supporting Ukraine’s aspiration for European integration”

Last week President Viktor Yanukovych of Ukraine paid an official visit to Lithuania. This visit had been planned for mid-December 2012, but for some reason Yanukovych chose to go to Moscow, not to Vilnius. But this visit was also canceled just an hour before the departure, allegedly by mutual consent of the two sides.

Lithuaniais one of the few European Union countries that maintain close contact with the Ukrainian government, while some of the “old” member states prefer to shun Ukraine’s top leadership, issuing an ultimatum about freeing Yulia Tymoshenko and Yurii Lutsenko.

Yanukovych has had several meetings in the past few years with Lithuania’s President Dalia Grybauskaite who supports Kyiv on its path to the European Union. This one is in fact a response to her Ukraine visit in May 2012. After two-hour-long negotiations, the President of Ukraine and his Lithuanian counterpart signed the Road Map of Strategic Partnership between Ukraine and Lithuania for 2013-2014. According to Yanukovych’s press service, this document was prepared in pursuance of the agreements reached during Grybauskaite’s visit to Ukraine in November 2011 – particularly about the specific goals of Ukrainian-Lithuanian cooperation in various fields. The road map is this supposed to fill the relations between Kyiv and Vilnius “with concrete content within the next two years.” Besides, the two heads of state signed Protocol VI of the session of the Council of Ministers of Ukraine and Lithuania and the Agreement on Cooperation between Ukraine’s State Drugs Control Service and Lithuania’s Governmental Department for Drugs, Tobacco and Alcohol Control.

This meeting was important for Yanukovych, as Lithuania is going to hold the EU presidency in the second half of 2013. During this term, Vilnius will host an Eastern Partnership summit at which the Ukrainians side hopes the Agreement on Association between the EU and Ukraine will be signed. But it does not seem to be very easy to do so.

As Grybauskaite noted, the European Union is prepared to sign the Association Agreement with Ukraine if the latter proves with very clear and concrete actions that it is capable of living as a European state. “Ukraine is important for the European Union. Lithuania has been and will be supporting Ukraine’s aspirations for European integration. But the European future of Ukraine and its people is only in the hands of Ukraine itself,” Dalia Grybauskaite emphasized.

In her words, Ukraine has reached noticeable progress, but it must take further steps. The EU Foreign Affairs Council stressed in its December 10, 2012, conclusions that Ukraine should improve its election system, reform the legal and judicial system, guarantee the rule of law and impartiality of courts, and continue to carry out other important domestic reforms.

The Lithuanian leader also noted that the EU is very closely watching the course of the cases opened against political opponents. She says this plays an essential role in the EU-Ukraine relations. What also complicates a dialogue with the EU is “selective justice” which forms a negative political context. Therefore, the possibility of signing the Agreement on Association with the EU largely depends on Ukraine’s ability to solve these problems.

Pres. Grybauskaite made it clear that if Ukraine wants to sign an agreement on free trade with the EU, it should not join the Russia-sponsored Custom’s Union. Besides, she added, the European Union is also concerned over the destiny of the imprisoned Tymoshenko.

On his part, the Ukrainian president pointed out that integration into Europe is a long process. Ukraine is so far unable to succeed in everything, but it is trying to draw lessons and avoid repeating its mistakes. “As for the problems that are arising today, we are seeking solutions. I am convinced that they will be found,” Yanukovych said. At the same time, to quote the Lithuanian online publication Delfi.it, the Ukrainian president “failed to dispel doubts about Ukraine’s self-determination. Speaking of Yulia Tymoshenko, the president made it clear that he was prepared to solve this problem, but he immediately added that the rule of law is of paramount importance.”

At the same time, Yanukovych said Ukraine would continue to devote close attention to European integration matters, with due account of Lithuania holding the EU presidency in the second half of this year. He also added that the Eastern Partnership summit, to be held in November in Vilnius, will be of great importance for Ukraine. “I hope we will have achieved considerable progress by that time, and we must do this,” the head of state emphasized.

COMMENTARY

LITHUANIA CAN PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE IN NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE EU AND THE UKRAINIAN LEADERSHIP

Ramunas VILPISHAUSKAS, director, Institute of International Relations, Vilnius University:

“Lithuania expects the Eastern Partnership summit to produce an essential result for Ukraine-EU relations – the Association Agreement, which also includes a deep and comprehensive free trade area, will be signed at this forum. It is clearly understood here that these achievements depend on the Ukrainian leadership – on the extent to which it will be meeting and putting into practice EU standards and values. It is particularly about the rule-of-law principle, independence of the judicial system, and non-use of unlawful methods in persecuting political opponents.

“As an EU member that will soon assume the Union’s presidency, Lithuania can play an active role in negotiations between the EU and the Ukrainian leadership and express EU expectations. The top Lithuanian authorities as well as EU leaders are very well aware of this. Ukraine’s further integration into the EU common market, a political dialogue between Ukraine and the European Union, and adherence to basic European values – all this is also expected to be useful for Ukraine.

“Is Lithuania aware of a difficult situation around the ‘Tymoshenko case’ and of the fact that this should not hinder the movement towards EU integration? Indeed, we cherish no naive hopes or expectations about this case. But, on our part, we expect the Ukrainian leadership to be also aware of the importance of solving the ‘Tymoshenko case’ and to prove its determination on the way to EU integration. For this will bring political dividends and considerable economic advantages for Ukraine. Obviously, it is a difficult problem for the Ukrainian leadership to tackle, but Ukraine itself should also clearly understand that it will gain an advantage from the solution of this problem.”