European Union does not recognise “referendums” in Eastern Ukraine
The ministers did not recognise the legality of the referendums and called for the disbanding of the separatist paramilitary groups and the withdrawal of Russian troops from the border with Ukraine. They said they hoped that the presidential elections scheduled for 25 May would be free and fair.
The Foreign Affairs Council extended the list of persons and entities covered by sanctions for aggressive acts against Ukraine by imposing visa bans and asset freezes against further 13 persons and two legal entities.
During the first part of their meeting, the ministers spoke with the Chairman in Office of the OSCE, who presented a road map for resolving the crisis that had been accepted by the Russian authorities. The ministers expressed the need for a parallel approach and complementary application of sanction instruments and diplomatic efforts. In its conclusions, the Foreign Affairs Council encourages Russia to cooperate with the OSCE and continue the dialogue started in Geneva. The Ukrainian authorities were also called to carry out reforms in state building, transparency and fighting corruption, including, in particular, in the gas industry and trade.
On the sidelines of the Foreign Affairs Council, Minister Sikorski took part in the inauguration of the European Institute of Peace (EIP) whose role is to identify threats, prevent potential conflicts and cooperate in resolving existing conflicts and in peace processes. Poland has decided to allocate 200,000 euros annually for the operation of the Institute for a period of three years.
During the Polish top diplomat’s visit to Brussels, the Permanent Representation and the think tank Carnegie Europe organised a public debate with the minister. It focused on the European Union’s Eastern policy and the consequences of the Ukrainian crisis for European security. The talk was moderated by Jan Techau, Director of Carnegie Europe, and Judy Dempsey, author of a popular blog Strategic Europe. The debate was attended by EU officials, diplomats from Member States and third countries, experts, analysts and a large group of journalists.
Earlier, the Permanent Representation hosted an expert discussion on the same subject (by invitation only) for senior EU and NATO officials, representatives of Member States and independent experts and analysts with former Polish Foreign Minister Professor Adam Rotfeld, as the main guest.
http://www.msz.gov.pl/en/
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