EurActiv 17-Dec-13
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has accused the European Union of trying to impose a free trade agreement on Ukraine that will likely ruin its economy. Speaking in Brussels yesterday (16 December), he advocated instead a “unified economic and humanitarian space from Lisbon to Vladivostok” to be established between the EU and the Russian-led Eurasian Union.
Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov attended a lunch with his EU counterparts in Brussels yesterday (16 December). Although the whole range of the EU-Russia agenda was discussed, the situation in Ukraine largely dominated the discussion.
Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovich is due to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow today after making a surprise U-turn in November by deciding to stop the country's preparations for a far-reaching Association Agreement (AA) and deep trade pact with the EU.
EU confirms 'readiness' to talk
Following the lunch, EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said foreign ministers “confirmed the EU’s readiness” to sign the Association Agreement with Ukraine, adding that the signing should have no negative effects on Russia.
Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt was highly suspicious of Russia's intentions and twitted during the meeting it was “obvious that Russia has launched a massive disinformation campaign against EU and the agreement with Ukraine”.
But the Russian minister accused in return the EU of meddling in Ukraine politics, and of trying to impose a bad deal on the country, which would also harm Russia’s interests.
Meeting with a small group of journalists, Lavrov said it was not Russia who interfered, but rather the EU and Western politicians who visited Maidan, the central square of Kyiv where protests have taken place since 21 November with demands that Yanukovich should resign.
“Too often we hear in recent days that only if Russia didn’t meddle in Ukraine, everything will be OK,” Lavrov said, speaking in Russian. He continued: “We gave concrete examples of what we do and what our European partners do. They go to Kyiv and to Maidan, distribute cookies and say that the Ukrainian people must make a free choice in favour of Europe. If the choice is free, let the Ukrainian people decide,” Lavrov said.
The Russian minister also rejected the view that Russia was “against Europe” and was pulling Ukraine “somewhere else”.
EurActiv asked Lavrov to comment Carl Bildt’s tweet that Russia was conducting a disinformation campaign against the EU and the AA, and a statement by the Swedish minister that the EU should draw a list of all the cases when Russia used trade issues for pressure against countries in its neighbourhood.
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17-17 Dec 2013 Milestones Snippets
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1a
Lavrov said Bildt was his “old friend” and a politician “who
likes to express himself brightly”, but added that this time
his remarks had been “unprofessional” and close to
“stereoptypes of the Cold War”.
Ukraine ‘asked to remove its goal keeper’
The Russian minister slammed the AA as tantamount to
asking a country not only to open its doors, but “to remove
its goal keeper”. He said that any government who feels
responsible about the country’s economy wouldn’t agree to
such “irresponsible” move.
Lavrov argued that if Ukraine would “open at 85% to EU
goods immediately”, as in his words the AA foresees, the
higher quality EU goods would flow the Ukrainian market,
and the lower quality Ukrainian goods would end up in
Russia in Belarus.
He added that an article of the Community of Independent
States (CIS) agreement, of which former Soviet republics
including Ukraine are members, allows any other member
country to take protective measures in such circumstances.
Lavrov said that Russia’s Customs Union was aimed
precisely at raising the competitiveness of countries such as
Ukraine to a level which would allow liberalizing trade with
the EU “on a fair basis, not unilaterally, but on a more
profitable, more equitable basis”.
He reminded Russia’s ambition to create a unified economic
and humanitarian space from Lisbon to Vladivostok,
suggesting that it was in Ukraine’s interest to join this space
as member of the Eurasian union, Vladimir Putin’s pet
geopolitical project which bears similarities to the EU and is
to be built on the basis of the Customs Union (see
background).
“When we will achieve all our plans regarding the Customs
Union and the future Eurasian Union, I’m convinced that we
will move toward putting in place the common economic
space between Eurasia and the EU on conditions which are
mutually beneficial. Any policy can be successful if it takes
into account the interest of the partner,” Lavrov said.
The Russian minister also made ironic remarks regarding the
modest success of the EU to sign free trade agreements with
partners outside its neighbourhood.
I asked today my European colleagues – do you have many
free trade agreements signed? Apparently, there are very
few, after the Lisbon Treaty there is only one”, he said,
apparently referring to the FTA with Singapore.
Lavrov said he asked his EU colleagues why they had only
one agreement in the recent four years, they appeared “a
little confused”. He added that from their reaction and from
other sources Russia knew that “the EU wants to obtain
unlimited access to the respective markets”.
“There were such attempts in Latin America, in other
countries, but they were not successful. The reason is that
these countries think about the interests of their economies.
And they know they should become more competitive before
they start thinking about free trade zones. But the EU wants
everything at once,” Lavrov said.
The Russian minister also said that “it is not by chance” that
AA with the Eastern Partnership countries Ukraine, Moldova
and Georgia had been “drafted in secret”.
“When I asked, I was told that as soon as the AA were
initialed, they were published as well. But after initialing, the
Commission says the AA cannot be amended,” he quipped.
Lavrov also made a comment which was disputed by EU
sources contacted by EurActiv. He said that there was a in
the EU a large number of countries who considered that
regarding Ukraine, issues should be discussed in a trilateral
format, involving Russia.
Hiccup
The Russian minister conveyed the message that EU
countries were not united vis-a-vis the Ukraine issue. In fact,
a hiccup at the meeting was that several EU countries
disagreed with a tweet by EU enlargement chief Štefan Füle
from Sunday, who said that further discussion on AA were
on hold due to lack of commitment from the Ukrainian side.
Now countries agree that work is still ongoing and the door
remains open to Ukraine, “as relevant conditions are met”.
Reportedly, by meeting with Putin repeatedly in recent
times, Yanukovich has become receptive to Russia’s
messages and now repeats that the AA would inflict giant
economic losses to his country which he wants compensated.
On the EU side the message is that the AA is basically a
blueprint for the country’s modernisation, and that Poland
which was in the same situation as Ukraine twenty years ago
is today a flourishing economy.
Protestors at Maidan anxiously wait for the news from
Moscow, fearing that Yanukovich would “sell his country”
to Russia.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has accused the European Union of trying to impose a free trade agreement on Ukraine that will likely ruin its economy. Speaking in Brussels yesterday (16 December), he advocated instead a “unified economic and humanitarian space from Lisbon to Vladivostok” to be established between the EU and the Russian-led Eurasian Union.
Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov attended a lunch with his EU counterparts in Brussels yesterday (16 December). Although the whole range of the EU-Russia agenda was discussed, the situation in Ukraine largely dominated the discussion.
Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovich is due to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow today after making a surprise U-turn in November by deciding to stop the country's preparations for a far-reaching Association Agreement (AA) and deep trade pact with the EU.
EU confirms 'readiness' to talk
Following the lunch, EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said foreign ministers “confirmed the EU’s readiness” to sign the Association Agreement with Ukraine, adding that the signing should have no negative effects on Russia.
Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt was highly suspicious of Russia's intentions and twitted during the meeting it was “obvious that Russia has launched a massive disinformation campaign against EU and the agreement with Ukraine”.
But the Russian minister accused in return the EU of meddling in Ukraine politics, and of trying to impose a bad deal on the country, which would also harm Russia’s interests.
Meeting with a small group of journalists, Lavrov said it was not Russia who interfered, but rather the EU and Western politicians who visited Maidan, the central square of Kyiv where protests have taken place since 21 November with demands that Yanukovich should resign.
“Too often we hear in recent days that only if Russia didn’t meddle in Ukraine, everything will be OK,” Lavrov said, speaking in Russian. He continued: “We gave concrete examples of what we do and what our European partners do. They go to Kyiv and to Maidan, distribute cookies and say that the Ukrainian people must make a free choice in favour of Europe. If the choice is free, let the Ukrainian people decide,” Lavrov said.
The Russian minister also rejected the view that Russia was “against Europe” and was pulling Ukraine “somewhere else”.
EurActiv asked Lavrov to comment Carl Bildt’s tweet that Russia was conducting a disinformation campaign against the EU and the AA, and a statement by the Swedish minister that the EU should draw a list of all the cases when Russia used trade issues for pressure against countries in its neighbourhood.
To subscribe/unsubscribe email snippets@MilestonesUK.org Your name, country and ecclesia are helpful!
www.MilestonesUK.org for books, creation DVD’s, Prophecy Days details etc. Bro Don Pearce. Rugby UK.
17-17 Dec 2013 Milestones Snippets
2 2
1a
Lavrov said Bildt was his “old friend” and a politician “who
likes to express himself brightly”, but added that this time
his remarks had been “unprofessional” and close to
“stereoptypes of the Cold War”.
Ukraine ‘asked to remove its goal keeper’
The Russian minister slammed the AA as tantamount to
asking a country not only to open its doors, but “to remove
its goal keeper”. He said that any government who feels
responsible about the country’s economy wouldn’t agree to
such “irresponsible” move.
Lavrov argued that if Ukraine would “open at 85% to EU
goods immediately”, as in his words the AA foresees, the
higher quality EU goods would flow the Ukrainian market,
and the lower quality Ukrainian goods would end up in
Russia in Belarus.
He added that an article of the Community of Independent
States (CIS) agreement, of which former Soviet republics
including Ukraine are members, allows any other member
country to take protective measures in such circumstances.
Lavrov said that Russia’s Customs Union was aimed
precisely at raising the competitiveness of countries such as
Ukraine to a level which would allow liberalizing trade with
the EU “on a fair basis, not unilaterally, but on a more
profitable, more equitable basis”.
He reminded Russia’s ambition to create a unified economic
and humanitarian space from Lisbon to Vladivostok,
suggesting that it was in Ukraine’s interest to join this space
as member of the Eurasian union, Vladimir Putin’s pet
geopolitical project which bears similarities to the EU and is
to be built on the basis of the Customs Union (see
background).
“When we will achieve all our plans regarding the Customs
Union and the future Eurasian Union, I’m convinced that we
will move toward putting in place the common economic
space between Eurasia and the EU on conditions which are
mutually beneficial. Any policy can be successful if it takes
into account the interest of the partner,” Lavrov said.
The Russian minister also made ironic remarks regarding the
modest success of the EU to sign free trade agreements with
partners outside its neighbourhood.
I asked today my European colleagues – do you have many
free trade agreements signed? Apparently, there are very
few, after the Lisbon Treaty there is only one”, he said,
apparently referring to the FTA with Singapore.
Lavrov said he asked his EU colleagues why they had only
one agreement in the recent four years, they appeared “a
little confused”. He added that from their reaction and from
other sources Russia knew that “the EU wants to obtain
unlimited access to the respective markets”.
“There were such attempts in Latin America, in other
countries, but they were not successful. The reason is that
these countries think about the interests of their economies.
And they know they should become more competitive before
they start thinking about free trade zones. But the EU wants
everything at once,” Lavrov said.
The Russian minister also said that “it is not by chance” that
AA with the Eastern Partnership countries Ukraine, Moldova
and Georgia had been “drafted in secret”.
“When I asked, I was told that as soon as the AA were
initialed, they were published as well. But after initialing, the
Commission says the AA cannot be amended,” he quipped.
Lavrov also made a comment which was disputed by EU
sources contacted by EurActiv. He said that there was a in
the EU a large number of countries who considered that
regarding Ukraine, issues should be discussed in a trilateral
format, involving Russia.
Hiccup
The Russian minister conveyed the message that EU
countries were not united vis-a-vis the Ukraine issue. In fact,
a hiccup at the meeting was that several EU countries
disagreed with a tweet by EU enlargement chief Štefan Füle
from Sunday, who said that further discussion on AA were
on hold due to lack of commitment from the Ukrainian side.
Now countries agree that work is still ongoing and the door
remains open to Ukraine, “as relevant conditions are met”.
Reportedly, by meeting with Putin repeatedly in recent
times, Yanukovich has become receptive to Russia’s
messages and now repeats that the AA would inflict giant
economic losses to his country which he wants compensated.
On the EU side the message is that the AA is basically a
blueprint for the country’s modernisation, and that Poland
which was in the same situation as Ukraine twenty years ago
is today a flourishing economy.
Protestors at Maidan anxiously wait for the news from
Moscow, fearing that Yanukovich would “sell his country”
to Russia.
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