`Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine need a united action plan of strategic communications with the member countries of the European Union`, - said Co-President of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Andrius Kubilius in an exclusive interview with Europe Time.
`We are trying to speak with capitals, trying to organize some kind of networks with think-tanks with political communities to speak about all those new ideas. We need some kind of joint action plan with the EU, Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova`, - said MEP Andrius Kubilius.
_Internal political crisis by stepping up great efforts and mediation from the side of the European Union may be considered resolved at this stage, what will be the next step that makes more credible aspiration of the country towards Euro-Atlantic Alliance?
That is exactly why we were very much concerned about this political crisis, which lasts a quite long time, not only after elections but before the elections. That is why we were involved intensively in all those attempts to assist overcome the crisis.
And I am really happy that the crisis is over and I am also happy that the EU and personally Charles Michelle took the leadership to resolve the crisis. That is again a good example of how the EU can be effective in resolving some of those challenges. those problems are not only in Georgia. For example, Moldova, Belarus has major problems. So, maybe, that Experience which the EU got in trying to assist Georgia, will be useful for the EU to find a way how to assist others.
Why Georgian Crisis was bad from our point of view, it is not only domestically... Georgia was losing some momentum with that crisis, but we considered that Georgia really is a front runner among Eastern Partnership trio countries. we asked the famous think-thank (CEPS) in Brussels to make an analysis and they produced a very interesting study comparing with the Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries. As a result, Georgia is among the leaders of both regions.
Georgia is among the leaders which is an argument for us to discuss again that there is a need to reform Eastern Partnership Policy to make it much more similar what the EU policy to the Western Balkans. And maybe to offer some kind of more practical integration path for such kind of countries like Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. Really, what is very much needed is a clear and very well-defined strategic communication strategy for all three countries to lobby in all the capitals. We are trying to do also the same from European Parliament, we are trying to speak with capitals, trying to organize some kind of networks with think-tanks, with political communities to speak about all those new ideas. We need some kind of joint action plan with the EU, Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova.
Maybe, it is a beginning to propose some kind of intermediate status, which was proposed for the first time by Romano Prodi (sharing everything with the Union but institutions). I mean that countries like Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova could have also benefited from membership, like integrated into a single market. So, there is really important as a next step where Georgia can really be one of those which can promote the idea after the crisis.
Georgian Government, ruling party plan to apply for EU membership by 2024. So that integration path is really very important not only for Georgia, also for Eastern Partnership countries. Maybe, for the European Neighbourhood Policy and I hope that we should be really able to walk together with Georgians and trio countries pushing some of those big ideas. What about at the congress of `future of Europe`, I will be really happy if all the countries of the Eastern Partnership invite to participate. Creating a think-tank community is a very good idea.
_We know that Russia has applied various methods to make a hybrid war against many countries including Georgia. There are some experts’ opinions that the European Union has a more constructive approach. What is your view of these relations especially amid growth-based aggression from the side of Russia?
We need some clarity. When we are talking about engaging with Russia, what do we have in mind? Some capitals have a mind, let us engage with Putin. Russia consists of two major `pilots`. One is Kremlin and the second is Russian ordinary people. I am much more in favor of engaging with ordinary people and much less I see any kind of positive outcome with new attempts to engage with Putin. Putin will not change himself, but the Russian people can change Russia. There is a question of how we can assist Russian in its attempts to transform Russia and How we can engage with them.
There are several things, one thing is really to help them defend Human rights, election rights and so on which Putin is threatening very much. Second point, what we are stressing everywhere, what the EU can do to help the Russian people in their attempts to transform Russia. The EU should be much stronger in its policy to Eastern Partnership Countries, success of Eastern Partnership Countries is really the best example of what the Russian people can achieve if they will also move with democratic developments in Russia. The Succes of Eastern Partnership Countries is not against Russia. It is in favor of Russian Development, of Russian democratic development. The Succes of Eastern Partnership Countries is not allowed for Putin, because if Russian people will follow Georgian or Ukrainian example, such regime like Putin regime will collapse.
_How you see the role of EPP in the resolution of the crisis and generally, its involvement in internal political issues?
EPP is among political groups in European Parliament. Despite the fact who is in power and who in opposition, Georgia is really very important for us, the same with Ukrainian, the same with Moldova. The Second Point is We would like to see in all those countries EPP family political party`s success, but sometimes we cannot be better Georgian Politicians than Georgian politicians are themselves.
My opinion was very simple also for opposition to UNM and European Georgia. This political crisis was not bringing any kind of political dividends. My advice was to get out of the crisis, but of course not forgetting what you were demanding, but don`t continue the crisis forever because you will start to lose your people trust and then you can also start to lose the trust of international partners.
