Statement on Recognizing the European Perspective for the Eastern Partnership States

We, the member organizations of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Georgian National Platform are looking forward to the upcoming Riga Summit with special interest.

The Summit, which will take place in the wake of Russian aggression, armed activities, occupation and annexation of territories in response to the European choice declared by the Ukrainian people, should answer the question how the unified Europe sees the future of the rest of the Europe.

Since gaining independence, the Eastern partnership countries have gone a long, complicated and challenging way. The last achievement on this way has been the Association Agreement with EU signed by Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. These Agreements including arrangements on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area represent in fact the plan of modernization of these countries according to the European model and practically bringing them closer to their ultimate aim to become members of the European Union.

We realize that there still is a long and challenging way ahead that implies carrying out important reforms in all spheres of public life. We underline that people in our countries, and in some cases, through national referendums, made a firm choice to become the EU members – the choice, which does not have any reasonable alternative.

The latest events in Ukraine, and before that, the Russian aggression towards Georgia in August 2008 make an impression that these countries, in terms of the declared European perspective turn out to be hostages of the situation, built by the territorial problems and frozen conflicts resulted from the external aggression; and we think this situation stimulates the Russian aggression further.

The Russian Federation takes advantage from the mentioned status quo and by launching an aggressive informational campaign tries to strengthen the belief among the populations of Eastern Partnership countries that we do not have any chance to join EU, which makes the integration with Russia the only realistic option left.

Numbers of official documents adopted by different European institutions as well as the Association Agreements signed with all three countries recognize the historical ties and common values shared between our countries and the EU member states. Certain provisions of these Agreements welcome European aspirations of these countries and praise their European choice. The resolutions adopted by the European Parliament directly recognize the European perspective and the right of these countries to apply to become members of the EU under Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union.

We underline that we, the member organizations of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Georgian National Platform are waiting for the clear message from the members of the Riga Summit confirming that notwithstanding aggression waged against our countries, our European perspective is universally recognized and as European states, we cannot be deprived the right to become the full-fledged members of the unified Europe.

We call on the European Union and its member states to explicitly recognize at the Riga Summit the European perspective for Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine!

We also call our Parliament and Government to support this appeal by respective declarations and a diplomatic action.

Signatory Organizations:

1. Center for Political Studies and Analysis
2. NGO Rezys
3. ICO Information Center “Green Dossier”
4. Centre for Global Studies “Strategy XXI”
5. Kramatorsk NGO "Foundation for Community Development"
6. Center for Political Analysis and Electoral Consulting (Lutsk)
7. International Charity Partnership for Every Child
8. NGO “Democratic action”.
9. Federation of Trade Unions of Workers of Small and Medium Enterprise of Ukraine
10. PFC “Rodunnu dim”
11. Vinnytsia Regional Center for Information “KREATIV”
12. Centre for Civil Liberties (Ukraine)
13. Ukrainian institute for international politics
14. Open Society Foundation, NGO (Ukraine)
15. Pylyp Orlyk Institute for Democracy, Kyiv, Ukraine
16. Centre for Human Rights “Life Tree”
17. Ecological club "KRAY"
18. Academy of Ukrainian Press
19. Kryvyi  Rih Human Rights Union
20. NGO Institute of Partnership and Sustainable Development
21. Charity organization “Our Visions”
22. Transparency International  Ukraine
23. NGO  "Public Studio" ( Vinnitsa)
24. Centre for Cultural Management (Lviv)
25. Public organization “Vybir” (Luhansk oblast)
26. Сivic Space Center (Hromadskiy Prostir)
27. NGO Human and Society, Zaporizhzhya
28. Polish-Ukrainian Cooperation Foundation PAUCI
29. Center of Environmental Health and Risk Assessment (CEHRA)
30. Kremenchuk informative-elucidative centre “European club”
31. Association of Gorlovka society “Revival and Development”
32. Regional analytical centre
33. Civic Space Center (NGO Hromadskiy Prostir)
34. Zaporizhzhya NGO "Human and Society"
35. NGO "Center Dobrochyn"
36. NGO CHOISE (Vybir)
37. Institute for Euro-Atlantic Integration
38. CCC Creative Center (UKRAINE)
39. Green Dossier
40. Centre of Democratic Revival
41. NGO Europe XXI
42. Association for Support of Sustainable Development
43. Severskiy Institute of Regional Studies
44. Internews-Ukraine
45. UNENGO "MAMA-86"
46. Dyamatyk NGO
47. GURT Resource Centre
48. Institute of Political Studies
49. International Foundation Vidrodzenya
50. Center for Medical and Environmental Health and Risk Assessment (CEHRA)
51. Ukrainian Federation of Employers in tourism sphere
52. Ukrainian Federation of Employers in agriculture and food sphere
53. Parnass Zaporizhzhya Regional Center of Cultural Development
54. Trade Union of Nuclear Energy and Industry of Ukraine
55. Chernihiv Center for Human Rights
56. Ukrainian Centre for Legal Assistance "Civic Defender"
57. NGO “Green World”
58. Ecological Group “Petchenigy”