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Europaudvalget 2013-14
EUU Alm.del Bilag 474
Offentligt

COU CIL OF

THE EUROPEA U IO

Brussels, 27 May 2014

Statement of the Heads of State or Government on Ukraine

Brussels, 27 May 2014

1. Today we discussed the situation following the Presidential election on 25 May in Ukraine. We

recall and reconfirm our statement of 6 March and our conclusions of 21 March. We welcome

the holding of the elections as an expression of the will of the Ukrainian people. The

presidential election was characterised by high turnout and a clear resolve by the authorities to

hold what was a genuine election largely in line with international commitments and respecting

fundamental freedoms, despite the hostile security environment in two eastern regions of the

country. We call on all parties to accept the outcome of the elections and we look forward to

working closely with the new President.

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2. We stand firm in upholding Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and we strongly

condemn the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol to the Russian Federation and will not

recognise it. We reaffirm the European Union's commitment to the Geneva Joint Statement of

17 April and commend the role of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in assisting in its

implementation, as well as the efforts undertaken so far by the Ukrainian authorities to

implement it. In the light of the latest developments, we reiterate our call on the Russian

Federation to take actions to fully implement the Geneva joint statement. We also fully support

the complementary efforts of the OSCE and its Chairman in Office, while ensuring Ukrainian

ownership. The efforts by all sides should aim at solving the crisis politically, putting an end to

violence and tensions in Eastern Ukraine, including disarmament of all illegal armed groups and

amnesty to those who have rendered their arms voluntarily and have not committed serious

crimes. We note with concern the deteriorating human rights situation in Crimea since its illegal

annexation by the Russian Federation.

3. We expect the Russian Federation to cooperate with the newly elected and legitimate President,

to continue the withdrawal of armed forces from the Ukrainian border and to use its leverage on

the armed separatists to de-escalate the situation in Eastern Ukraine. The Russian Federation

should as a matter of priority prevent the crossing of separatists and weapons into Ukraine. In

this context and with a view to consolidating a political solution, we encourage the Russian

Federation to enter into a frank and open dialogue.

4. We encourage the Ukrainian authorities, building on the legitimacy of the newly elected

President, to continue to reach out to the population and civil society of all regions of Ukraine,

including in the framework of the round tables of national dialogue. We welcome the

Memorandum of Peace and Concord adopted by the Ukrainian Parliament on 20 May. The swift

and inclusive conduct of the constitutional and de-centralisation reforms, while drawing on the

relevant expertise of the Council of Europe, is key in this process. Reform efforts as regards the

judiciary, the prosecutor's office and the security sector as well as the fight against corruption

need to continue. The European Union stands ready to support those efforts. The rights of

persons belonging to national minorities need to be fully ensured in line with the relevant

standards of the Council of Europe.

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5. We will continue to lend our assistance to Ukraine to help stabilise the macro-economic

situation and to conduct structural economic reforms. To this aim, a dedicated Support Group

for Ukraine has been created by the Commission to help the Ukrainian authorities implement a

jointly agreed European Agenda for Reform, in coordination with the Member States,

international donors and civil society. We welcome the establishment of the European Union led

international donors platform and the intention to hold, before the summer, a high-level

coordination meeting in Brussels. Several measures have already been deployed, including the

first disbursement of macro-financial assistance totalling now 1.61 billion euro and the signature

of a State Building contract between the European Commission and the government of Ukraine.

6. We reiterate our commitment to enhance people-to-people contacts between the citizens of the

European Union and Ukraine, i.a. through the visa liberalisation process, in a secure and well-

managed environment and provided all conditions are met, in line with agreed conditions in the

framework of the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan. The Commission has put forward a report

recommending to move to phase 2 of the visa liberalisation process with a view to granting visa

free travel to the citizens of Ukraine once the visa liberalisation process is duly completed.

7. It is important that the Government of Ukraine improves the macro-economic balance and

business climate, as well as eradicates corruption. International partners, including the Russian

Federation, should contribute to these stabilisation efforts. It is important for the stabilisation of

Ukraine's economy to reach an agreement on the conditions of the gas supply from the Russian

Federation to Ukraine. We hope that the ongoing talks, facilitated by the European Union, will

be concluded soon. We reiterate that the contracts regarding gas supplies from Russia to the

European Union need to be respected.

8. We note that preparatory work by the Commission and the EEAS on possible targeted measures

is underway and agree to continue preparations for possible further steps on that basis should

events so require.