The Foreign Ministers of the Visegrád Group and Bulgaria, Greece and Romania met in Budapest today in order to discuss issues of common interest to strengthen the cooperation between their countries and to exchange their views on current international developments, in particular the situation in Ukraine.

Eastern Partnership and Ukraine

Ministers welcome the fact that violence could be stopped in Ukraine as a result of the agreement reached by the sides on 21 February and express their condolences to the families of all those who were killed in the senseless bloodshed last week and throughout the conflict. They also welcome the election of the new Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada as an important step towards consolidation as well as the release of Yulia Timoshenko, which finally addressed an important issue of selective justice long sought by the European Union. Ministers pay homage to the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Poland who brokered the deal, which managed to end violence and contribute to the stabilisation of the country.
Nevertheless, the situation remains volatile in the country. The Ministers reiterate their strong interest in maintaining the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine and call on all actors to refrain from any action that could undermine this. All Ukrainian political forces must continue to engage responsibly in a substantive dialogue to establish an inclusive national government that could restore law and order on the entire territory of the country. A sustainable and inclusive consolidation process must also include constitutional reform and preparation for free and fair elections, as well as the respect of European democratic values, including the rights of national, ethnic and linguistic minorities. In the respect the repeal of the 2012 language law by the Verkhovna Rada on 23 February is an unwelcome development which could jeopardise the chances of consolidation in the country.

The Ministers fully support the efforts of High Representative Catherine Ashton regarding the contribution of the European Union to a lasting solution to the political crisis and the work of the European Commissoion to stabilise the economic situation. The stabilisation of the Ukrainian economy is a key aspect of the consolidation process: the international financial institutions must be able to provide much needed macroeconomic assistance to the country.

Ministers reaffirmed the message of the European Union that the Association Agreement (including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area) does not constitute the final goal in EU-Ukraine cooperation and that further steps are also needed in the area of mobility, including the speeding up of the visa-liberalisation process for Ukrainian citizens.

Ministers confirmed that the Eastern Partnership remains a strategic direction of the European neighbourhood policy and expressed their interest in further deepening relations and cooperation between the EU and all Eastern Partners with the aim of reaching the goals of the Vilnius Declaration. They emphasized the importance to provide maximum support to the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, the countries in the forefront of reform efforts, in order to allow for signature of the Association Agreements/Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas with them as soon as possible, but no later than the end of August 2014.

Energy and climate

The Ministers reconfirmed their joint commitment to achieve a common European energy market and their support to the Greek EU-Presidency’s aim to reconcile the goals of competitiveness of the European industry as well as the security and sustainability of energy supply with the long term goals discussed for climate change. They expressed their support to further enhance cooperation in energy security issues as an increasingly important aspect of foreign affairs and an integral part of their cooperation and agreed on the importance of connecting energy infrastructures, as well as promoting genuine gas-to-gas competition and competitive gas prices for their consumers. They highlighted the importance of building the missing interconnectors and infrastructure between their countries and secure diversification options via pipelines and access to the LNG market.

Climate change is undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges of our age. The forthcoming years will be decisive in relation to the major decision concerning our common efforts to tackle climate change both at the international stage and within the European Union. The Visegrád Countries, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece share the commitment that the international community should not spare efforts in order to arrive to a substantial and meaningful international climate agreement in 2015 in Paris.

The Visegrád Countries, Romania and Bulgaria have a long standing cooperation in the field of climate policy. Together with Greece, holding currently the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, they believe, that the new EU climate framework must be balanced, efficient and adequate, which takes into account the competitiveness of the European economy and the different circumstances of the Member States. The Visegrád Countries, Romaniaand Bulgaria will continue to coordinate their position during the forthcoming negotiations to which they invite Greece to join in.

Migration

Ministers exchanged views on several aspects of the growing migratory pressure experienced by the EU. They agreed that preventing and reducing irregular migration in an efficient, yet humane way and granting international protection to those fleeing persecution or serious harm are equally important principles. They agreed that the growing common migration-related challenges require joint efforts. Ministers put special emphasis on taking effective measures to combat the aiding of illegal immigration. In this regard they welcomed the ongoing cooperation of our countries in the framework of the FIMATHU project funded by the EU and aimed at fighting illegal trafficking in human beings.

They agreed upon the need to follow the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Syria and stressed the need to coordinate efforts in order to be able to address arising humanitarian needs.

Western Balkans

During the working lunch, Ministers have reviewed the situation of the countries of the Western Balkans and expressed support for their European integration. They discussed the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina with particular emphasis on the causes and possible consequences of the social unrest in the country. They shared the view that the political elite of the country should address the difficulties of economic and social nature that led to demonstrations. They reiterated their commitment to the European future of the country, supported the continuation of EU facilitation and underlined the necessity to overcome the stalemate in the European integration process of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)