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Comprehensive agreement between the EU and Kyrgyzstan. Recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the EEAS

2018/2118(INI)

The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the own-initiative report by Cristian Dan PREDA (EPP, RO) on a European Parliament recommendation to the Council, Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the comprehensive agreement between the EU and the Kyrgyz Republic.

In December 2017, the EU and Kyrgyzstan launched negotiations on a comprehensive agreement, which would replace the current EU-Kyrgyzstan PCA, with the aim of enhancing and deepening cooperation in areas of mutual interest, based on the shared values of democracy, the rule of law and good governance, within a new legal framework.

The following recommendations were made to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy:

The comprehensive agreement should, inter alia:

  • identify strategic short- and long-term perspectives in the comprehensive agreement and to establish a number of well-identified and structured goals for cooperation with Kyrgyzstan;
  • put in additional efforts and to deepen the relationship in order to make the EU more visible and more effective in the country and in the region;
  • foster the market economy by delivering tangible social and economic benefits for the citizens of both sides;
  • support the establishment and development of small and medium-sized enterprises;
  • uphold the competition rules and legal certainty, including through the reinforcement of independent and transparent institutions;
  • respect and advance democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law in full respect of the criteria required for the GSP+ status granted to the Kyrgyz Republic;
  • reaffirm the importance of working systematically to promote the values of democracy and human rights, including freedom of expression, association and assembly and the independence of the judiciary;
  • encourage a strong commitment to social progress, good governance, democracy and good inter-ethnic and inter-religious relations, training and education;
  • encourage a favourable environment for journalists and the independent media;
  • promote international security and effectively tackle global challenges such as terrorism, climate change, migration, corruption, tax evasion and organised crime;
  • strengthen political dialogue and sectoral cooperation;
  • step up the interparliamentary dialogue between Kyrgyzstan and the European Parliament;
  • ensure the transmission of the negotiating directives to the European Parliament, subject to confidentiality rules, to enable proper scrutiny by Parliament of the negotiating process;
  • take into account the development of Kyrgyzstan’s relations with China and Russia;
  • acknowledge Kyrgyzstan’s security concerns in connection with the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and in responding to increasing radicalisation in the Central Asian region and provide assistance in relation to returning Islamist foreign fighters and their family members from abroad.