RIAC-Visegrad-Report22-Eng

Recommendations

Info

4. UKRAINE AND THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIPIN THE POLICY OF THE VISEGRAD COUNTRIESsummit in Hungary or in Poland, which succeeded each other as presidents in2011, Brussels decided in favour of Poland. However, that incident, preceded byexchanges between the two foreign ministries and governments over the EasternPartnership programme, opened the line for closer interaction between Warsawand Budapest on issues related to the Partnership.The Eastern Partnership provided the keynote of the Visegrad Group presidencyof Poland in 2012–2013 and Hungary in 2013–2014.In May, 2013 when Ukraine was expected to sign an association agreement theMinistry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary and the Polish Institute for Eastern Studiesheld the 6 th Ukraine–EU Forum. Although the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukrainedid not attend the forum, it provided an opportunity for the Visegrad Group countriesto confirm their readiness to patronize Ukraine in its “European choice”.Opening the event, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary János Martonyilinked the success or failure of the November 2013 Eastern Partnership Summitin Vilnius with the signing of an association agreement by Ukraine: “the upcomingsummit will answer many questions, the major of which is whether we havemanaged to awaken an interest among the Partnership countries in strengtheningcooperation with the EU.” 97 Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary Tibor Navracsicsthen gave a speech, noting that, first of all, Hungary considered it an honourto be hosting a forum devoted to Ukraine, and second, that after 2010 (whenthe Fidesz government came to power), Hungary acquired positive experience inovercoming such economic problems as its budget deficit – experience it couldshare with the Eastern Partnership countries. 98On May 18, 2013, after the Krakow Summit of the Visegrad Group, János Martonyideclared that the Group was not indifferent to what was happening to the east,and therefore sought to do everything possible to bring these countries closerto the European Union. 99 At the same time, he stressed that it was important tounderstand the significance of the Programme for the European Union. Havingassumed presidency of the Visegrad Group on July 1, 2013, Hungary was leadingthe Visegrad Group towards strengthening the Euro-Atlantic policy. SzabolcsTakacs, recently appointed Deputy State Secretary for Global Affairs of theHungarian Foreign Ministry, paid his first to the United States in order to expresssolidarity with Washington on all international issues, including Syria. In earlyOctober, the secretaries of state for political issues of the four foreign ministersvisited Kiev, thus continuing the practice of joint visits by secretaries of state tothe key countries on which the Eastern Partnership may in one way or anotherdepend, a practice begun under the Polish presidency. The Hungarian StateSecretary for Foreign Affairs said that the aim of the visit was to demonstratethat the “Visegrad Group was a friend of Ukraine.” 100 Besides, they expressed978 th Economic forum Europe – Ukraine.URL: http://www.forum-ekonomiczne.pl/6th-forum-europe-ukraine/?lang=en#.Uoz0t9JdVtV98Ibid.99Martonyi János: a visegrádiak krakkói találkozója felgyorsíthatja a keleti partnerországok közeledését az EU-hoz. May 18,2013. URL: http://www.kormany.hu/hu/kulugyminiszterium/hirek/martonyi-janos-a-visegradiak-krakkoi-talalkozoja-felgyorsithatja-a-keleti-partnerorszagok-kozeledeset-az-eu-hoz100A visegrádi csoport értékeli az uniós közeledést célzó ukrán reformokat. October 4, 2013. URL: http://2010-2014.kormany.hu/hu/kulugyminiszterium/biztonsagpolitikaert-felelos-helyettes-allamtitkarsag/hirek/a-visegradi-csoport-ertekeli-az-unioskozeledest-celzo-ukran-reformokat(in Hungarian).www.russiancouncil.ru35
RUSSIA AND THE VISEGRAD GROUP:THE UKRAINIAN CHALLENGEhope that Ukraine would comply with the requirements that still remained andthat the November summit in Vilnius would open a new page in the EasternPartnership policy.On October 21, 2013, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary János Martonyiconfirmed his country’s position during a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers inLuxemburg. He said that the signing of an agreement with Ukraine correspondedto the interests of the Visegrad Group countries, as was the initialling of similaragreements with Moldova and Georgia. He lamented the fact that the issues ofsigning similar agreements with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus, which optedfor stronger ties with the Eurasian Customs Union, was not on the Vilnius Summitagenda and urged the European Union to work towards free trade agreementswith these countries. 101 Besides, Hungary’s top diplomat noted the differenceswith Russia over the Eastern Partnership and expressed hope that “they will beresolved over time.” 102With the Fidesz government coming into power, Hungary found its own easternpolicy formula. The national-conservative government of Viktor Orbán describedit as “opening up to the East”. The Prime Minister thus formulated its essence:“We are sailing under the Western sail, but in the Eastern wind”. 103 Apparently,this should be interpreted as an admission that being competitive in the Westernintegration without relying on the resources of Eastern neighbours in thecontinent was becoming even more problematic for Hungary (and for the Centraland Eastern European region as a whole). However, this policy, like the Euro-Atlantic policy, was not given a proper conceptual basis.Hungary and Ukraine successfully solved the issues of gas supply, the importof Hungarian agricultural produce (although Ukraine is interested in selling itsagricultural produce on the European markets). Nevertheless, Kiev has a guardedattitude to Hungary’s policy of granting Hungarian citizenship to its compatriotsliving abroad and is not welcoming the policy of dual citizenship in its own country.About 160,000 Hungarians live in Ukraine’s Subcarpathian area, and many ofthem took part in the parliamentary elections in Hungary in 2014. Hungary openeda consulate in the Subcarpathian city of Berehove and is actively investing in theregion, taking part in numerous trade, economic and construction projects.Having stepped up its participation in the Eastern Partnership and collaborating with its Visegrad Groupallies, Hungary can find – and is finding – the opportunity to achieve its political and economic goalsin the region more effectively.Hungary’s bilateral relations with the Eastern Partnership countries can hardly becalled smooth. For several years, it has been trying with no success to restore itsrelations with Armenia. Ties are developing more successfully in the economicfield, giving an impression of fairly constructive dialogue. Having stepped upits participation in the Eastern Partnership and collaborating with its Visegrad101Az EU-ukrán megállapodás történelmi lehetőséget jelent. October 21, 2013.URL: http://www.kormany.hu/hu/kulugyminiszterium/hirek/az-eu-ukran-megallapodas-tortenelmi-lehetoseget-jelent102Ibid.103Magyari Péter. Orbán: keleti szél fúj. Index. November 5, 2011.URL: http://www.index.hu/belfold/2010/11/05/orban_keleti_szel_fuj/ (in Hungarian).36 Report 22 / 2015
Page 2 and 3: RUSSIAN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS COUNC
Page 4 and 5: Table of ContentsIntroduction 41. R
Page 6 and 7: INTRODUCTIONpolitically stable stat
Page 8 and 9: INTRODUCTIONmore necessary because
Page 10 and 11: 1. RUSSIA, THE VISEGRAD GROUP ANDTH
Page 12 and 13: 1. RUSSIA, THE VISEGRAD GROUP ANDTH
Page 14 and 15: 2. EVOLUTION OF THE VISEGRAD GROUP
Page 20 and 21: 3. ECONOMIC RELATIONS BETWEENTHE VI
Page 26 and 27: 4. UKRAINE AND THE EASTERN PARTNERS
Page 40 and 41: 5. VISEGRAD-RUSSIAN RELATIONSAND TH
Page 68 and 69: CONCLUSIONneed to increase scholars
Page 70 and 71: CONCLUSIONto fix the blunders made
Page 72 and 73: RUSSIAN INTERNATIONALAFFAIRS COUNCI

RIAC-Visegrad-Report22-Eng

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?