13 Amendments of Demetris PAPADAKIS related to 2023/2106(INI)
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (EPCAs) are new-generation agreements that are the cornerstone of the EU’s engagement with Central Asia; whereas Kazakhstan was the first Central Asian country to sign an EPCA in 2015, which came into force in 2020; whereas negotiations on the EU- Kyrgyzstan EPCA were concluded on 6 July 2019, but the agreement still has not been signed due to a legal dispute between Council and Commission; whereas negotiations on the EU-Uzbekistan EPCA were concluded on 6 July 2022; whereas at the beginning of 2023, the EU and Tajikistan have started negotiations on an EPCA; whereas a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with Turkmenistan was signed in 1998 but the Parliament has not given its consent to ratify the agreement because of its deep concern over the short-term benchmarks for Turkmenistan’s progress on human rights and fundamental freedoms;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs visited Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on 21-25 February 2022 and Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan on 21-25 August 2023; whereas its Delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan, EU- Uzbekistan and EU-Tajikistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees and for relations with Turkmenistan and Mongolia maintains regular inter- parliamentary relations with the Central Asian countries;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines that the EU and Central Asia are facing profound global and regional geopolitical shifts, which provide significant impetus for them to engage in stronger mutually beneficial cooperation; encourages the EU to intensify its engagement with Central Asia, given the geostrategic importance of the region; welcomes the increased high-level contact between the EU and Central Asia, in particular the meetings between the Central Asian heads of state and the President of the European Council, and the work of the EU Special Representative for Central Asia; welcomes that the first EU-Central Asia Summit is planned for 2024 and the intention to adopt a joint EU-Central Asia roadmap to advance dialogue and cooperation in specific areas; encourages the EU to continue promoting political and economic reforms that strengthen the rule of law, democracy, good governance and respect for human rights;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Notes with concern efforts to upgrade the secessionist entity in occupied Cyprus at the Organization of Turkic States and calls on the Central Asian states concerned to effectively uphold the respect of the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states and not to ratify the amended Statute of the Organization of Turkic States, which would put into effect the decision to grant observer status to the secessionist entity in occupied Cyprus;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Underlines the importance of a positive investment climate for the economic development of Central Asia and EU-Central Asian trade and cooperation; highlights that a positive investment climate depends on stable democratic institutions, respect for human rights and the rule of law, as well as business and civil society’s capacity for due diligence application;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Highlights the EU’s role as an important donor of aid to the region; underlines the importance of taking a united approach as Team Europe, as this makes it possible to create synergies and maximise the impact of the action taken and showcases the benefits of multilateral cooperation; stresses the need to ensure the visibility of EU assistance and investment and calls for linking EU assistance and budget support to the Central Asian countries to concrete benchmarks for progress on democratic reforms, human rights protection, the rule of law and sustainable development;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3 a (new)
Subheading 3 a (new)
Bilateral cooperation
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Notes that Kazakhstan is the first Central Asian country with a ratified EPCA, which provides a solid foundation for expanding cooperation in key areas of mutual interest, such as connectivity, energy efficiency, green economy and digitalisation; welcomes the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the EU on a strategic partnership on sustainable raw materials, batteries and renewable hydrogen value chains; calls on Kazakh authorities to continue implementing political and economic reforms, which should strengthen democracy, rule of law and good governance; underlines that implementation of the vision of “Just and Fair Kazakhstan” must entail ensuring respect for human rights and freedoms of expression, association and assembly and improving the electoral framework in line with OSCE/ODIHR recommendations; calls on the authorities to complete the investigation into the January 2022 events, to publish its findings and to ensure justice for victims of torture; notes the potential benefits of increased people- to-people exchanges with Kazakhstan through a visa facilitation agreement, the formal consultations on which started in May 2023;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Underlines that the upcoming signing of the EPCA and the ongoing GSP+ implementation put further emphasis on the need to ensure the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Kyrgyzstan in line with its international commitments; observes with concern the deterioration of democratic standards and human rights in recent years, considering that Kyrgyzstan has been regarded as the most democratic country in the region with a vibrant civil society and free media; is concerned about the persecution of the political opposition, amongst others representatives of the Social Democrats party, and the negative impact of legislative initiatives that target the activities of independent media and civil society, notably the law on ‘false information’ and draft laws on ‘foreign representatives’, ‘mass media’ and ‘protecting children from harmful information’, and the increasing number of cases against human rights defenders, media workers and journalists as well as media outlets; calls on the EU to continue supporting the civil society and the independent media;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Underlines the importance of the delimitation and demarcation of disputed border areas between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to prevent further military clashes between the two countries and welcomes the steps taken by both sides in this regard; reiterates the EU’s offer to support the peaceful settlement of the conflict through technical assistance and confidence-building measures;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 d (new)
Paragraph 13 d (new)
13d. Notes that the start of negotiations on the EPCA agreement with Tajikistan is an opportunity to broaden the scope of bilateral cooperation and exchanges; underlines the need for continued close cooperation on security issues as Afghanistan continues to be a source of instability and security concerns due to harsh rule by the Taliban and ongoing humanitarian crisis in the country; reiterates that the legitimate fight against terrorism and violent extremism should not be used as a pretext to suppress opposition activity, hinder freedom of expression or hamper the independence of the judiciary; welcomes Tajikistan’s interest in joining GSP+, which can support sustainable economic growth and boost trade and requires effective implementation of international human and labour rights standards; calls on Tajikistan to improve the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular freedom of expression, and to stop intimidating and persecuting media workers, human rights defenders, independent lawyers and civil society as well as the repression of the Pamiri minority in the GBAO;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 e (new)
Paragraph 13 e (new)
13e. Notes that Turkmenistan remains the only Central Asian country without a PCA with the EU, which limits the scope for bilateral engagement; stresses that Turkmenistan needs to demonstrate the improvement of its dire democracy and human rights record in order for Parliament to reconsider its position and ratify the PCA; urges the government to decriminalise consensual sexual relations between men; notes that it should be in Turkmenistan’s interest to open up to avoid being the outlier in the region with limited options for cooperation; recognises the potential of mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as energy, connectivity as well as trade, and welcomes Turkmenistan’s expressed interest in supplying gas to Europe by means of building a Trans-Caspian gas pipeline;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 f (new)
Paragraph 13 f (new)
13f. Notes the announced reforms in Uzbekistan aimed at achieving genuine change in the country in terms of socioeconomic development, efficient administration, a more independent judicial system and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; stresses that the constitutional reform is an opportunity to strengthen the rule of law and to give the reforms a solid legal foundation; reiterates nevertheless its deep concern over Uzbekistan’s poor record on democracy, media freedom, human rights and the rule of law, including the brutal crackdown of the Karakalpakstan protest and restrictions of freedom of association both for NGOs and political parties and persecution of and threats against journalists, independent bloggers, content producers and human rights defenders; reminds the authorities of the importance of upholding the freedom of expression, both online and offline, the freedom of assembly, the freedom of association and the independence of the media; urges the government to decriminalise consensual sexual relations between men; welcomes the completion of negotiations on the EU- Uzbekistan EPCA and reiterates its call for a swift completion of the necessary legal and technical procedures for the signature of the EPCA; welcomes Uzbekistan’s leading role in promoting regional cooperation in various fields, including connectivity and use of water resources;