Paris, 14 June, 2005 – The WEU Assembly on Tuesday called on the EU to “take immediate steps to open up ESDP activities more widely to Ukraine”.
 
In a report on “Security cooperation between the EU and its eastern neighbours” submitted on behalf of the Political Committee, Jean-Pierre Masseret (France/Socialist Group) stated the Ukrainian authorities had “declared a readiness to cooperate more closely with the EU in the area of security” and that Ukraine had already proposed “a precise contribution to the Headline Goal” launched by the EU in order to create a 60 000-strong rapid reaction force. “Ukraine has definite strengths, a leading edge industrial and technology base which should allow it eventually to make a useful contribution to ESDP” Mr Masseret observed, further pointing out that “in the field of airlift, for example, the Ukrainians are in a position to offer tangible solutions to remedy the EU’s shortfalls in this area, in particular pending the entry into service of the A 400 M transport aircraft”.
 
In an overview of the political and military situation in Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus, the Rapporteur felt that the risk of armed conflict was “unlikely” in these countries where the danger was less that of an armed clash that of “a tendency to ride roughshod over democracy”. He went on to say that “the main security risks reside with the potentially destabilising effects internally of the transition process, as well as with organised crime and the fact of the latter’s being hand in glove with certain political figures”.  In line with Mr Masseret’s conclusions, the Assembly recommended that the EU be asked to intensify cooperation with those countries “in the fight against organised crime, in particular by strengthening border controls”.
 
Mr Masseret also made reference to fears arising from Russia’s internal development and the risk that could arise to neighbouring countries of political, economic and social destabilisation if the regime in Russia were again to swing towards authoritarianism. Recalling that Russia deplored the absence of any real dialogue with the EU, the Assembly invited the latter to “engage in dialogue with Russia on the conditions for and principles of democracy as a key component of security”.