Address of the international conference 'We in Europe or Europe without us' (Vilnius, 24 November 2013) to participants of Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius
Address of the international conference
‘We in Europe or Europe without us’ (Vilnius, 24 November 2013)
to participants of Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius
The situation that has developed around the signing of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement produced totally new challenges to the whole association process. The participating countries of the Eastern Partnership and the European Union, which planned to discuss and possibly sign the Association Agreement, have not taken into consideration a number of factors, both domestic and geopolitical, that may impede the Agreement. This is what we see today in Ukraine whose leadership has chosen to postpone this process, a development resulting from partisan priorities and the lack of consolidation of the Ukrainian political elites, brutal blackmail from the Russian Authorities, and insufficient attention to this problem on the part of EU politicians.
We believe that a lack of cooperation between civil society activists and political leaders of the Eastern Partnership countries are also partly to blame for this situation. Politicians preparing the agreement did not involve independent experts and civil society leaders in the process of shaping public opinion in the countries of Eastern Partnership. We call for taking this into account and creating favorable conditions and efficient channels for strategic communication between intellectuals and politicians from different Eastern Partnership countries.
The presence of hundred thousands protesters on the streets in Ukraine and all over the world vividly demonstrates that nobody can stop Ukraine’s movement toward the European Union. In this historical moment European partners should warn the Ukrainian government against the use of force, and the leaders of the Ukrainian oppositions should be advised to avoid any kind of provocations that can only hurt the cause of European integration.
The Vilnius Conference expresses its solidarity with the people of Ukraine and urges the President and the Government of Ukraine to resume preparations for signing the Association Agreement at the Vilnius summit of the EU. Ukraine’s success in Vilnius will set an excellent example for other East European countries and inspire the European family.
