...Respect for human rights and international humanitarian law are key factors for peace and stability and a guiding principle for the EU. I personally underlined at last week's Human Rights Council the strong commitment of the European Union to the human rights bodies and mechanisms of the United Nations.
There is no stability without democracy. There is no security, without human rights. Stability and security cannot exist without a fair trial system, a serious commitment towards good governance, the rule of law and the fight against corruption. Stability versus democracy or security versus human rights are false dilemmas. We should never fall into this trap...
As we focus on the Southern border of Europe, and on the southern neighbours of our southern neighbours, we have to face the events in the Eastern part of our continent. What happened in Ukraine over the last year is the most serious crisis in Europe since the Balkan wars. And let me add here, that the Balkans offer us all, today, reasons to be proud, and optimist. Exactly 20 years after Srebrenica, we see how far peace, democracy and regional integration can go, if we invest in it.
In Ukraine, today, achieving a sustainable solution is urgent – not least due to the death toll and the humanitarian impact of the conflict. The cost of this crisis in human lives is huge: almost 6,000 people have been killed and many more injured. Not to mention the number of refugees and IDP.
Fundamental norms of international law, enshrined in the UN Charter, are being challenged. This cannot be left without answer: the EU condemns the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol as a violation of international law. This is also the position of the United Nations, as expressed in General Assembly resolution 68/262 of last year.
Let me say that the UN count. It was important that the Minsk Package of Measures adopted last Feb 12 was endorsed by the Security Council. This ceasefire is fragile and no effort should be spared to sustain it. The withdrawal of heavy weapons is only a first step. The swift and full implementation of the Minsk Agreements by all sides is key to bring a sustainable political solution to the conflict.
We will keep supporting the implementation of Minsk as we already do, notably through in-kind and financial contributions to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission. I am constantly in touch with the Secretary General, and the OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier, to ensure that our respective support is effective and well-coordinated. We are also grateful to various UN agencies for coordinating international humanitarian efforts and for their objective reporting on the human rights situation.
Our policy towards Ukraine is crystal-clear. We want to put an end to the conflict. We need to put an end to the conflict. And to safeguard Ukraine’s territorial integrity. But we also have to make sure that Ukraine becomes a functional state that honours the aspirations of its peoples. Whoever wishes to push towards these goals will find Europe’s door wide open for cooperation. Europe was built on the principle of cooperation, both within its borders, and with our neighbours. And we want to keep this as a core principle of our policies. The conflictual, complex world we live in needs more cooperation, not less. Everywhere...
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