On 23 May, Steering Committee Member Ion Manole brought attention of the decision-makers present at the Ministerial Meeting in Brussels to protracted conflicts and other challenges in the Eastern Partnership region.
“Fighting between the two EaP countries must be resolved peacefully, once and for all. It is also essential that all sides respect the Geneva Conventions designed to protect prisoners and non-combatants in zones of conflict,” Manole told a meeting of the EU and EaP foreign ministers, as well as EU High Representative and Commissioner for ENP, regarding the recent escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh.
He also mentioned that the EaP CSF is ready to contribute to the process by setting up a non-partisan fact-finding mission to the region.
The SC Member stressed the importance of preserving the human and political rights of civilians and people who were displaced as a result of conflicts.
Ion Manole also pointed out that the recent referendum in the Netherlands casts doubt on the future of the EU-Ukraine AA/DCFTA and underlined that the visa liberalization process for Ukraine must continue unhindered.
“The lack of reforms, mass emigration and foreign propaganda threaten to transform Moldova from a ‘success story’ into a ‘larger Transnistria’,” Manole commented on the situation in the country that used to be the frontrunner of the EaP reforms.
He reiterated the CSF position that the EU should promote human rights and democracy for all people, including for those trapped by protracted conflicts, while EU confidence-building measures must be more effective and long-lasting.
