By Laurence Norman And Juris Ka a
RIGA--Tensions among Europe's eastern neighbors broke to the
surface on Friday, casting doubts about the European Union's
flagship initiative to deepen economic and political ties with six
former Soviet republics.
While EU leaders papered over divisions on whether to offer a
path to eventual membership to their neighbors, it was tensions
among the six--Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and
Belarus--over Russia's actions in Ukraine and other regional issues
that caused the biggest fights.
The disputes pointed to an increasingly obvious problem for the
EU's Eastern Partnership initiative, launched in 2009 with the hope
of setting the six countries onto a firmly western path. While
Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia have incurred Russia's wrath by moving
toward the EU, Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaijan have grown closer to
the Kremlin.
Coming into this week's meeting in the Latvian capital, EU
officials had warned there would be no big leaps forward in
relations with its eastern partners in Riga. However they insisted
the bloc's eastern outreach was still in good shape, citing trade
and political deals with Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia in 2014 and
fresh efforts to improve cooperation with Belarus, Azerbaijan and
Armenia.
Yet by Friday morning, final agreement on a summit statement was
being held up by Azerbaijan's unhappiness with wording on their
conflict with Armenia over the disputed territory of
Nagorno-Karabakh. Belarus and Armenia had also lodged repeated
objections in recent days about language describing Russia's "acts
against Ukraine" in 2014.
In the end, the summit close was delayed by over an hour as
European Council President Donald Tusk made a last minute telephone
call to Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, who had stayed away because
of a deadly fire in Baku, to win his backing to what was agreed,
diplomats said. Mr. Tusk confirmed the call.
The final text also had only EU leaders condemning the "illegal
annexation" of Crimea by Russia, wording that ensured Belarus and
Armenia didn't have to break with Moscow over last year's
events.
In a final news conference, Mr. Tusk recognized the
"difficulties" in agreeing a text, but said the EU had sent "a
message of strong consistent and strong commitment" to the Eastern
Partnership which was vital after "last year's intimidation,
aggression and even war in this part of Europe." EU officials have
said the bloc is adapting to regional developments through an
increasingly "differentiated" approach which matches ties to the
needs and interest level of partner countries.
Yet there has also been debate within the bloc over whether this
could be the final Eastern Partnership summit--at least in its
current form.
In an interview on Thursday evening, Latvian Foreign Minister
Edgars Rinkevics said the Riga summit had avoided what some had
feared: that the EU commitment to its neighbors was moving into
reverse. However he acknowledged a "new phenomenon."
"Partners have probably on some issues more differences and to
some extent, I would say that it was easier to forge a common
stance within the EU this time than to try to find the mutually
acceptable language...with these partners," he said.
For the Ukrainian, Georgian and Moldovan leaders, the summit
statement provided at least some political cover.
It kept open a possible future door for EU membership if the
countries pressed ahead with reforms, saying "summit participants
acknowledge the European aspirations and European choice of the
partners concerned."
EU leaders also signed off wording which looked favorably on
Ukraine and Georgia's bid to win easier visa access to the bloc, a
prize that Moldova won last year. EU leaders said "they look
forward to the completion" of actions by the two countries that
would allow them to win visa-free access to the EU. They pledged a
review of progress before year-end.
The EU also formally signed off a EUR1.8 billion ($1.99 billion)
balance-of-payments loan to Kiev, which it will disburse over the
next year.
After the summit, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko told
reporters he was satisfied with the results, saying the summit
confirmed the EU's relationship with Ukraine was on a "high
track."
The Ukrainian leader brushed off the objections of Belarus and
Armenia to language condemning Russia's actions in Ukraine.
"On Crimea, when all the world has condemned the annexation of
Crimea and one country doesn't see it, it's not a problem of the
world, it's a problem of this particular country," he said.
Write to Laurence Norman at laurence.norman@wsj.com