Vaidotas Verba: “Eastern Partnership is not a geopolitical tool”
Updated 2013-07-18
Exclusive interview of Special Envoy for Eastern Partnership at Lithuanian Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Vaidotas Verba to Mediamax- Addressing a conference in Yerevan earlier this week you said that the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius will become a key event for Lithuanian Presidency of the EU. It’s clear why this program is important for us - the partner states, but why it is important for the EU, which has plenty of other problems?- The EU Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius will be the third one after the Prague and Warsaw summits. The first Prague Summit was organized in 2009 to identify the requirements of the EU and Eastern Partnership partners. Prior to this the EU had the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (the Barcelona process), the Southerb Partnership, but it didn’t have such programs for Eastern states.The 2009 Lisbon Treaty said that the European Union should have its ideas and views on resolving issues that arise on its Eastern borders. All this happened 4 years ago, and I think it's time to reap the fruits now, and I believe these fruits are “tasty” both for the partners and the European Union.The November Summit will be the highest in terms of representation. We see concrete results, and the desire of the EU and the partner states to continue the work. Besides, the Summit may lay the grounds for the future development of both the program and the partner states.As for our experience, from the very first day of our independence the aspiration of Baltic states in the EU was clear and obvious, and we made every effort for that. I think our Presidency is in some way the assessment of our efforts in this direction. By our example we have shown how to do it. Besides, I think Lithuania and other Eastern European states that have joined the EU have a moral debt to help the countries striving for it. Therefore, the Eastern Partnership has every chance for success. In any case, I am very optimistic.- The Eastern Partnership program envisages cooperation not only between the partner states on the one hand and the EU on the other, but also collaboration between the states of this initiative. In accord with the latest Freedom House Report, the “democracy gap” between Azerbaijan and its Caucasian neighbors keeps growing. Can the different level of development of democratization in partner states in any way affect the cooperation?- As you understand, I can’t give assessments to the development of the level of democracy in various countries. As for the European Union and Lithuania’s presidency, we are trying to create as many opportunities for cooperation as possible not only between the EU and the partners but also between these countries.If in 2007-2008, when this program was just initiated, the EU had a common vision, today we take a differentiated approach. As for the assessment of the democratization level, there are various international human rights organizations which do give their assessments. Our goal is to create as many opportunities for cooperation as possible. We also hail the continuation of democratic processes, since it is one of the main goals of Eastern Partnership. We are trying to stick to them. The multilateral cooperation is also one of our priorities, and the countries that take the most of this cooperation will be encouraged.- Can we say that along with the principle “more for more” the EU also applies a similar principle “less for less”?- The countries that have made their choice, work more and strive for further integration, deserve more attention and more resources on our part. Our task is to identify not only these countries but also the projects that bring more benefits, as well as to attract all our resources to these projects. This principle should be applied not only to Eastern partners but also should become part of the European policy.- In the time when the Eastern Partnership was in its infancy, there were talks that Russia could also join the project. Today antagonistic tendencies are observed between Moscow and Eastern Partnership. What do you think, what has happened over this time?- I wouldn’t like to comment on what was and what was not. Today, the Eastern Partnership Process has gone far enough, we have tangible results and the partner states already see the fruits. As for the Eastern Partnership program itself, we have frequently stated that it is not directed against anyone. The logic of this program is that it is not directed against anything or anyone, but it is always “for”: more efforts, more possibilities; more possibilities, more results; more results, more resources, and so on. We don’t view the Eastern Partnership as a tool of geopolitical influence. This initiative is directed only to participant states. I wouldn’t like to link this issue to Russia. For us it’s important that the countries that have made their choice for future integration with the EU were satisfied.- According to Azerbaijani media reports, you have said in Baku that during its EU Presidency Lithuania will take some measures to promote the NK settlement. What measures did you mean?- Today, the EU has a lot of ideas on what to do to resolve the so-called frozen conflicts, and Lithuania will encourage such debates.I wouldn’t like to single out any concrete conflict, because each of them is specific. The issue of EU’s role in relation to some conflicts is not new. The European Union is involved in the settlement of some conflicts more and in some - less. We think Eastern Partnership can be one of the platforms where the EU will play a little bit bigger role than before.Aram Araratyan talked to Ambassador Vaidotis Verba
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- See more at: http://www.mediamax.am/en/news/interviews/7754/#sthash.xOBU0BWq.dpuf
