It looks like Kyiv managed to relieve the tension around the summit of Central European countries which was supposed to start on May 11 in Yalta. Several presidents of the European countries refused to participate in the summit because of different reasons. That is why there was nothing left but to postpone the summit which was announced by the spokesman of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. “For the reason that several European presidents are unable to participate in the 18th Summit of the Central European countries Ukraine found it reasonable to postpone the summit and not hold it on May 11-12 in Yalta,” Oleksandr Dykusarov said.
According the head of the delegation of the European Parliament in the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee Pawel Kowal, the Ukrainian authorities had no other way out but postpone the summit rejected by most of the invitees. However, the MP also thinks that postponing this event gave the Ukrainians and their European partners “two weeks” to resolve Tymoshenko case whose release the western politicians have been insisting on since she was arrested in August 2011.
“It is a serious warning that the political direction has to be changed and I think they start understanding this signal in the most serious buildings in Kyiv,” the MP said, as quoted by UNIAN. “Tymoshenko case has to progress and its direction is more or less clear. Let’s give the diplomats and politicians responsible for this case some time for the behind-the-scenes negotiations,” Kowal added.
The Ukrainian authorities received another clear signal from the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy who discouraged the Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov from coming to Brussels and participating in the EU-Ukraine Cooperation Council due on May 15. “When the prime minister of Ukraine announced he would come to Brussels, we said: ‘Stay home!’ It is a clear signal from our side that they have to change inside Ukraine,” Van Rompuy said, as quoted by Euronews.
He also emphasized that during his stay in Kyiv in 2011 with the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso they “spent hours” speaking to the Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych about the situation in Ukraine and the future association agreement. “We mentioned at the very beginning that we would be able to ratify it only if Ukraine shares our values. The association agreement determines not only the commercial relations. It is also a political agreement. We think that Yulia Tymoshenko is treated in an unacceptable way and we openly told Viktor Yanukovych about it,” Van Rompuy said.
On the other hand, the Polish president displays his will to carry on a dialog with his Ukrainian counterpart. Bronislaw Komorowski confirmed his intention to participate in the ceremonies of opening and closing Euro-2012 with the Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and declared his readiness to have an additional meeting with him “about Tymoshenko case” before the championship starts. “An additional meeting is desirable if it brings significant progress to resolve Tymoshenko case,” his press secretary said and mentioned that Komorowski is keeping in touch with Yanukovych.
The Day asked Marek SIWIEC, MEP, to comment the recent developments concerning Ukraine.
Formally, the decision of the Ukrainian authorities to put off the summit means that there were not enough participants. In fact, it is a very bad news. It is nearly the start of the political boycott of Ukraine.
“I attended the roundtable called ‘Trial of Yulia Tymoshenko – fulfillment of the Ukrainian legislation or violation of human rights’ held on May 9 in Brussels. There Kuzmin repeated the arguments we had already heard before. We heard nothing new. Moreover, there was a confrontation between him and Danish human rights advocates. I did not hear Petro Poroshenko’s declarations but I can say that there is nothing new in resolving Tymoshenko case.”
What do you think about the recommendation the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy gave to the Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov not to come to Brussels?
“We have already given many signals concerning that event (Tymoshenko’s imprisonment) which undermines the political dialog. It is very bad that such signal has been given by the president of the European Council.”
The Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski made a special declaration for the media concerning Ukraine urging from boycotting the European Football Championship due at the beginning of the summer and encouraging the Ukrainian authorities to resolve Tymoshenko case. Do you think the Polish president will manage to influence the Ukrainian authorities?
“We have given similar arguments before. There is nothing new. We have done our best but failed.”
Can you see a possibility that Ukraine changes its positions by the beginning of Euro-2012?
“No, I cannot see any changes. I hear the same arguments all the time.”
Won’t the fact that many politicians decided to boycott Euro-2012 help?
“I would like to clearly emphasize that if someone does not want to come to Ukraine to see football matches, it is their free choice. However, I am against any boycott since it will be against the Ukrainian people, sport, and Euro-2012. In this case I am against mixing up politics and football.”
You have recently been to Ukraine and talked to the youth and, probably, to the local authorities…
“Yes, I met many officials.”
Could you see that they wanted to resolve Tymoshenko’s problem?
“They just repeated official arguments. According to them, the situation was resolved. I spoke to them about Tymoshenko, football, and relations with Ukraine. However, they were solid for the views of the Ukrainian authorities.”
What do you think we should expect from the EU if Tymoshenko case is not resolved. What other leverage might Brussels use?
“All the leverage used by the EU has not worked. At the moment I am unable to predict the development of this situation.”
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The EU-Ukraine Cooperation Council will be held today in Brussels with Mykola Azarov’s participation. This information was confirmed by the press secretary of the High Representative of the EU for Foreign and Security Policy Maya Kosancic. “The meeting of the EU-Ukraine Cooperation Council will be held on May 15 in Brussels and we expect the Ukrainian prime minister to be heading the delegation,” she said, as quoted by UNIAN. The press secretary of the Ukrainian Prime Minister Vitalii Lukianenko also informed that Azarov’s plans to visit Brussels on May 15 to participate in the meeting of EU-Ukraine Cooperation Council have not changed.
