European Parliament resolution on development of relations between the European Union and the southern Caucasus
Date: 2001-10-04
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Armenia, Azerbaijan, EU relations, Georgia, cooperation policy, human rights, political situation

11.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 87 E/261

Thursday 4 October 2001

1.

Condemns all human rights violations committed in Colombia;

2.
Expresses its condolences to the families of the victims, the human rights activist and head of the
Social Pastoral Office in Tumaco, Yolanda Cerón, the former Minister Araujo Noguera and the Unión
Patriótica member of parliament Octavio Sarmiento, and to the families of all those who have fallen victim
to terrorism and violence in recent months, which represent an out-and-out attack on the peace process;

3.
Calls again on the FARC guerrillas to release the civilians they are holding, particularly the EU
citizens, a request made during the visit by the European Parliament delegation which, if complied with,
would demonstrate a genuine desire for progress towards peace and reconciliation among Colombians;

4.
Urges the guerrilla leaders and paramilitary forces to end the systematic violation of human rights
and international humanitarian law and to stop putting pressure on the civilian population, and calls on
them to conclude a humanitarian agreement to this effect;

5.
Calls on the Colombian Government to renew its efforts to protect and guarantee the security of the
civilian population in Colombia, as well as that of political, social and trade union leaders and human
rights activists, and to step up its efforts to combat immunity from punishment and to dismantle para-
military groups;

6.
Reiterates its support for the peace process and a negotiated settlement to the conflicts and calls on
the parties to declare a ceasefire, as proposed by the committee of eminent persons for peace, and points
to the deep-rooted economic and social causes of this situation;

7.
Points out that this commitment to the nascent peace process makes it necessary to continue to
search for peace, strengthen institutions, comply with the rule of law, and promote development coop-
eration, humanitarian aid and social development and thus bring about the establishment of a fairer
society, while stressing that, if resources, volunteers, experts and aid workers are to be sent, the minimum
standards to guarantee their safety must be met;

Calls on the Council, Commission and the Member States to keep a close watch on developments in
8.
Colombia and offer to provide mediation between the parties to secure a stable peace agreement; in the
sphere of cooperation calls on the EU to pay closer attention to stepping up measures to combat immun-
ity from punishment and to support the work done by human rights organisations;

Calls on the Council to submit to the European Parliament its first six-monthly progress report on

9.
the peace process and human rights in Colombia as soon as possible;

Reaffirms its commitment to combat drug-trafficking, which should not be countered solely by
10.
military action, but also requires concerted social and economic action involving the civilian population
concerned and the countries to which the drugs are sent and where they are consumed;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Colombian

11.
Government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

20. Southern Caucasus

B5-0618, 0630, 0638, 0649 and 0661/2001

European Parliament resolution on development of relations between the European Union and the
southern Caucasus

The European Parliament,

: having regard to the Agreements for Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union,
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia of July 1999, and the joint declaration by the Presidents of the
three states of June 1999 in Luxembourg, for cooperation in the region and more widely in Europe,

C 87 E/262

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.4.2002

Thursday 4 October 2001

A. welcoming the assertion of the European identity of the peoples of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia

by their political representatives,

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

desirous to support initiatives to strengthen human rights, civil society and social, economic and
political reforms in each of the states of the southern Caucasus, and pointing out that the human
rights situation is still unsatisfactory and merits greater attention,

aware of the case of Shahbaz Khodouglou, editor-in-chief and founder of the Milletin Sesi (People’s
Voice) newspaper in Azerbaijan, arrested and sentenced to six months in jail by a Baku court on
17 September 2001 for having criticised Ramiz Mehdiyev, Head of the Presidential Office,
in an
article,

conscious of the situation of the peoples of the southern Caucasus, at the eastern extremity of Europe,
and the inherited difficulties in their relations from the Soviet era, and consequent enduring human
suffering and other problems, and reiterating its conviction that the EU must play a greater and more
courageous political role in this region of the world, taking account of the aspirations of these coun-
tries and their peoples to participate fully in the process of European integration,

determined to reinforce bilateral and multilateral dialogue with the peoples of Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Georgia and with major players in their political, economic and social
life, with a view to
measures to increase confidence, and stressing that all efforts must be made to solve all the conflicts
in the region which prevent the development of genuine and balanced relations between the countries
in the area and are the most important source of instability,

stressing that coherent and ambitious action by the EU is even more urgent given that the region is
now dangerously unstable following the war in Chechnya, with numerous refugees being obliged to
flee to the neighbouring countries, particularly Georgia and Azerbaijan,

1.
Proposes a Conference of the three states of the southern Caucasus and the European Union, in order
to draw up a strategy for regional cooperation which promotes peace, human rights, democracy, social
and cultural development, economic growth and cooperation on shared environmental problems;

2.
Proposes an institutional structure for cooperation in the southern Caucasus in which the Commis-
sion would provide advisory and technical services, and requests the Council to give the appropriate
mandate for the rapid consolidation of the institutions of these countries and for the rapid bringing into
line of their national law with Community law;

Calls for a conference on investment and economic development in the southern Caucasus by banks

3.
and firms in the European Union with special emphasis on energy;

Supports and encourages initiatives for regional cooperation among the countries of the region, and

4.
especially the Black Sea Cooperation Council;

Calls on Azerbaijan to release Shabaz Khodouglou without delay and to secure the rights of its

5.
citizens and the rights of journalists in particular;

6.

Demands the establishment of a Commission Delegation in Armenia and in Azerbaijan;

7.
Urges the Council to envisage the possibility of appointing a EU Special Envoy for the region so as to
improve the profile of the EU in the southern Caucasus, increase the effectiveness of its action and con-
tribute to the peaceful solution of ongoing conflicts;

Calls on the Commission to strengthen ECHO action in the Caucasus region so as to provide the

8.
means to deal with the present humanitarian emergency;

Requests the Council and Commission to report to Parliament on the initiatives envisaged in this

9.
resolution;

11.4.2002

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 87 E/263

Thursday 4 October 2001

10.
Calls on the Commission and Council for a global report on the situation, cooperation and ini-
tiatives in the region, and calls on the Commission and Council to submit to it, as soon as possible,
a joint EU strategy for the southern Caucasus, taking account of the interests of those countries’ popu-
lations and of the EU in a region of Europe which occupies a strategic position as the gateway of Europe
to Central Asia;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the govern-

11.
ments of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

21. Political situation in Myanmar (Burma)

B5-0622, 0639, 0650, 0656, 0657 and 0664/2001

European Parliament resolution on the political situation in Burma

The European Parliament,

: having regard to its previous resolutions on Burma,

in particular its resolutions of 16 September

1999 (1), 18 May 2000 (2), 7 September 2000 (3) and 16 November 2000 (4),

: having regard to Common Position 96/635 CFSP on Burma/Myanmar of 28 October 1996 and the

extension thereof of 9 April 2001,

: having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 552/97 of 24 March 1997 temporarily withdrawing

access to generalised tariff preferences from the Union of Myanmar (5),

: having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1081/2000 of 22 May 2000 prohibiting the sale, supply
and export to Burma/Myanmar of equipment which might be used for internal repression or terror-
ism, and freezing the funds of certain persons related to important governmental functions in that
country (6),

A. whereas December 2001 will mark the tenth anniversary of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to
Aung San Suu Kyi and this will be recognised in Oslo, Norway; whereas Aung San Suu Kyi was
awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1990,

B. whereas Aung San Suu Kyi, who has constantly tried to restore democracy through peaceful means,
and other leading figures from the National League for Democracy (NLD) have been under house
arrest for over a year, and whereas the government still declines to indicate any date for their release,

C. whereas Aung San Suu Kyi, as leader of the democratically elected majority party, the National League

for Democracy, is the only legitimate representative of the Burmese people,

D. having regard to Japan’s decision to resume aid to Burma in order to encourage talks between the

military junta and the opposition party, the NLD,

E. whereas talks between the country’s military rulers and Aung San Suu Kyi, which were negotiated by
the UN Special Envoy, Razali Ismail, have now been taking place for eleven months, and can be
considered an important step,

(1) OJ C 54, 25.2.2000, p. 111.
(2) OJ C 59, 23.2.2001, p. 284.
(3) OJ C 135, 7.5.2001, p. 283.
(4) OJ C 223, 8.8.2001, p. 335.
(5) OJ L 85, 27.3.1997, p. 8.
(6) OJ L 122, 24.5.2000, p. 29.