Polsko, Varšava dne 23. října 2008
konference „EU Foreign Policy“
EU Foreign Policy – and the quest for leadership
opening remarks by
A.Vondra, Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs
23. October 2008
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In the aftermath of the Georgian crisis, the time is propitious for a deepened strategic reflection. Greater foreign policy presence of the European Union is not any longer a matter of scholarly discussions, it is a vital must in an increasingly unsteady and fragile atmosphere eastwards from the EU. Calls for strengthened leadership and enhanced crisis management within the EU appear at the same time in the context of the world financial crisis and of other looming threats that might require a common, more coherent and more offensive EU external policy response. In this respect, questions multiply about the form, scope and direction that this European common approach to foreign policy should take.
It is in this context that the Czech Republic will be taking over the steering wheel of the EU Council in January 2009. We have decided to dedicate a great part of our effort to the foreign policy issues. The main foreign policy priorities of the Czech Presidency will be the following:
1) Transatlantic relationship
2) Eastern partnership, energy security and a new strategy of our relationship to Russia
3) EU Enlargement to the Western Balkans
4) Up-grade of the relationship EU-Israel
1) Transatlantic relationship
The US is Europe’s closest natural ally in the globalising world and maintaining a robust transatlantic partnership is in our vital interest. The establishment of the new US Administration in January 2009 will create a unique opportunity to launch a genuine renewed transatlantic dialogue. The Czech Presidency therefore wants to ensure that both partners will work together on setting a political work plan on as many issues as possible with the aim to prevent protectionism and isolationism: i.e.:
• Energy and Climate. Cooperation of the US on climate change will be indispensable, should EU’s efforts for lowering world´s CO2 emissions not be vain.
• Financial and economic issues. EU and US must work together in finding an international response to the current financial turmoil. In order to respond to the looming recession we should try to enhance our mutual economic growth by further advancing the work of the Transatlantic Economic Council and thus contribute to establishing a true barrier-free transatlantic marketplace where goods, investments and technologies can move freely.
• Security. Both US and the EU face the same global security challenges and together we can tackle them more successfully. The 60th anniversary of NATO, which will take place under the Czech Presidency, will discuss the possibilities to further enhance the cooperation of EU and NATO.
The first meeting of the US President EU27 representatives should take place in Prague (or Brussels) under the Czech Presidency, possibly on the occasion of the NATO summit.
2) Eastern partnership, Russia and external dimension of energy security will be our key priority.
Two strategic moments, that C. Bildt has recently mentioned, are of particular importance to those of us, who have been living in the geopolitically tense area of Central and Eastern Europe:
a) The fact that Russia has lowered the treshold for using military power to defend what it defines as its interests and
b) that it re-opens the question of boundaries of the post-soviet area.
In an effort to respond to these developments, Czech Republic has been standing together with Poles and Swedes at the cradle of the idea of the Eastern partnership.
This initiative consists in allocation by the EU of sufficient political attention as well as financial resources to the countries in its Eastern neighborhood. Complementing initiatives of the French Presidency with EU’s Southern Partners the Czech Presidency intends to look East. It will be our task to launch the Eastern partnership and grant it – together with the Swedes – a top place on the EU external agenda.
By the end of this month a Communication by the Commission is expected on the Eastern partnership, followed by conclusions of the European Council. Based on that an „Eastern summit“, organized in Prague, probably in spring 2009 with participation of EU27 + 6 (Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia) should formally launch the Eastern partnership.
Within this group of countries Georgia will require special attention – the Czech presidency has to ensure that all funding promissed for recovery of Georgia arrives to the country. Also, should the peace plan not be properly implemented, we have to be ready to act decisively – the negotiated conditions need to be respected by Russia.
We believe that if Eastern partnership is to succeed, it should be project-based and beneficial to our partners. One of good examples of how it could work in practice is the Transcaspian summit, also planned by the Czech Presidency, in Brussels, in the TROIKA format + 6 (Turkey, Kasachstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine). We believe that developing energy dialogue with supplying and transit countries is vital for both reinforcing energy security and addressing growing demand for energy in EU.
This brings me to another important priority of the Czech Presidency, which is closely interlinked with foreign policy issues: external dimension of energy security. Apart from a follow-up work on extending EU energy acquis, we also want to pursue a strategic approach – ensuring energy security. Diversification of energy sources, discussions on the Southern corridor and Nabucco cannot be separated from the issue of the Eastern partnership.
When speaking about Eastern neighbors, we of course, may not forget Russia – EU will need a new approach towards Russia and this issue might end up climbing up the agenda of the Czech EU Presidency. The concrete agenda of the Czech Presidency towards Russia will be very much determined by the outcome of the next EU-Russia summit, which might decide whether or not to resume the PCA negotiations. We believe we need to engage Russia, not isolate it. But in our new approach, we should have a relationship of equals. EU should play a role corresponding to its economic and political clout: we should be an agenda-setter, rather than a follower.
3) Western Balkans
In the context of the Georgian crisis, it is evident that in order to be able to stabilize East, we have to finish our homework as soon as possible in the Western Balkans. Only this way we can unleish additional energy and potential for addressing emerging serious geopolitical challenges in the East. We will press the candidate countries, first of all Croatia, to increase their efforts to comply with the accession conditions as quickly as possible. We will also encourage reform efforts of all other countries of the Western Balkans in order to bring them closer to the accession process. We also want to act strongly in the area of the implementation of the visa liberalisation roadmaps so as to facilitate contact with the EU for the citizens of the countries of the Western Balkans.
4) Up-grade EU-Israel
For EU to become a genuine global player, it is indispensable to have a clout in another pressing conflict area: the Middle East. Engaging into an enhanced cooperation with Israel and bringing positions of the EU and Israel closer in different sectoral areas of mutual interest is one of the most important ways to achieve that.
Some argue, that conditionality between our rapprochement with Israel and progress in the Middle Eastern peace process is indispensable. I am, however, persuaded that a strategic rather than tactical approach would be more beneficial in this respect: up-grade will pave the way for increased EU influence in the region and thus on the peace process too.
– In spring 2009 the prolonged Action Plan for Israel within ENP, which is the current basis for widening the cooperation with Israel in various areas, will expire. The Czech Presidency wants to participate actively in negotiations of a new Action Plan. In cooperation with the European Commission we will strive to further enhance the high level of cooperation attained in the areas of security, trade, higher education and research and technological development. We will support the gradual Israeli integration into specific areas of the European Single Market.
– We would also like to enhance the political dialogue: we would like to invite Israeli ministers to selected informal EU Council meetings and possibly organise a historically first TROIKA summit EU-Israel in Prague.
Conclusion:
The title of this conference is „EU Foreign Policy – the quest for leadership.“ In the beginning of my remarks I mentioned that while there is no doubt that EU as a whole would have more weight in the foreign policy, many questions arise on what form this common approach should take. The Czech Presidency will have to tackle these questions:
– we will be those moderating the discussion on the probable reduction of the European Commission – a decision prescribed by the Nice Treaty, which will have to be taken by the June European Council at latest.
– By that time the results of the European elections will be known, which should be reflected in the composition of the future Commission and which will set off the debate on the nominees, including thoughts on the possible High Representative.
– Also, if by then Ireland is the last country not having ratified the Lisbon Treaty, the discussions on the implementation of the European External Actions Service are likely to be resumed.
All these issues are directly linked with the question of how EU´s action will be organised in the area of foreign policy and the Czech Presidency will have to face this task. The guiding principle for the Czech EU presidency in dealing with these questions will be that of neutrality and balance: we believe that in establishing a genuine EU Foreign Policy it is crucial to preserve the principle that is at the core of EU´s historical success in reconciling European states. It is the care that EU has always dedicated to striking a careful balance between different political views, between the smaller and the bigger member states, new and old, north and south and east. We believe that care should prevail also in our definition of the nascent EU Foreign Policy.
Thank you for your attention.