Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-01-13-Speech-4-023"
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"en.20050113.3.4-023"2
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"Mr President, Commissioners, the events that have taken place in Ukraine over the last few months have clearly shown the democratic world that the Ukrainian people do not want to accept a fate similar to that of other former Soviet States, presided over by authoritarian and semi-authoritarian regimes. Ukraine will never be the same again. There have been public demands for the right to mobilise the people not only in action against fraud in the presidential elections, but also demands for democracy and the rule of law. Wide-spread public participation has helped Ukraine to achieve tasks for which revolutions have in the past been necessary.
Significant changes in the move towards democratisation have already had an impact on the Supreme Court, security services and media. Several risks, however, remain, which may hinder the Ukrainian people from implementing their choice. The dangers of a divided country may well be exaggerated, but they do exist. There is no reason to doubt that the mass media, which is loyal to the Russian president and retains significant influence in the eastern part of Ukraine, will continue to call into question the choice made by the majority of the Ukrainian people. Other risks include Ukraine's dependence on Russia for energy. The Russian market is also Ukraine's most important destination for exports. Quite recently, at the end of the 1990s, the Baltic States, in particular Latvia, still felt the impact of Russia's wish to make use of similar dependency.
The weakness of previous reforms, particularly in the court system, may threaten the quality of future reforms in Ukraine. The European Union must help Ukraine to overcome these risks, we cannot lose this opportunity for historic change: economic assistance, investments, but above all trading opportunities. The European Union must provide Ukraine with the opportunity of entering its internal market, in particular Ukraine's few competitive steel and food enterprises. Ukraine's entry into the World Trade Organisation must be encouraged. The rapid preparation of a plan of action between the European Union and Ukraine is also important and a clear signal must be given at the earliest opportunity to western and eastern Ukraine, the general public and politicians that, if it meets the stringent entry requirements, the road to membership of the European Union will be open to Ukraine.
The world has focused its attention on Ukraine; the European Union must now do so. Ukraine should be given the opportunity to join the European Union."@en1
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