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Official Journal of the European Communities L 331/1, 
23 December 1999

 

European Council Common Strategy
of 11 December 1999 on Ukraine

 II.Ensuring stability and secutiry and meeting common challenges on the European continent

The EU and Ukraine have a common interest in the maintenance of stability and security in a free and democratic Europe. The geopolitical situation of Ukraine,situated along the North-South and East-West axes gives Ukraine a unique position in Europe.The EU recognises Ukraine's regional importance.In this context,the EU proposes to strengthen cooperation with Ukraine paying particular attention to nuclear safety and to the strengthening of political dialogue,as provided for in the framework of the PCA,with a view of making it more coherent and operational.

The EU wishes to deepen cooperation with Ukraine in order to find effective responses to common challenges facing the continent on the following issues:
 

II(i) Cooperation to strengthen stability and security in Europe

22.The EU supports Ukraine's efforts to promote cooperation and stability in its region,including in the context of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organisation,the Council of Baltic Sea States and Georgia,Ukraine,Uzbekistan,Azerbaijan and Moldovo.The EU welcomes the positive develop-
ment of Ukraine's relationship with all its neighbours and believes it has an interest in those relationships remaining strong and stable.The EU also notes Ukraine's contribution to European stability through its role as an observer to the Stability Pact for South-East Europe.

23.The EU and Ukraine share a common interest in the maintenance of stability and security in a free and democratic Europe.Strengthened mechanisms for consultations between the EU and Ukraine in the framework of the PCA,Council of Europe and United Nations, and strong cooperation between the OSCE and Ukraine,are needed to respond jointly and effectively to European and global security challenges. 

24.The EU congratulates Ukraine on its election to the United Nations Security Council (2000-2002).This fact reinforces the need for the EU further to deepen and broaden its political dialogue with Ukraine at official and ministerial level, bilaterally and through EU mechanisms.The adoption of the European Security Charter will enhance the cooperation between the Member States of the OSCE.

25.The EU promotes and supports the dialogue on general and specific issues relating to crisis management and security building as developed over the past years between the Western
European Union and Ukraine as well as the intensification of practical cooperation in this field,in particular through the implementation of the action plan recently drawn up between the Western European Union and Ukraine.

26.The EU is also interested in strengthening cooperation with Ukraine in the field of export controls and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery vehicles, and encourages Ukraine to fulfill its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

27.Moreover,the EU encourages Ukraine to achieve the goals of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use,Stockpiling,Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction.The EU also encourages Ukraine to develop a strategy to combat the destabilising accumulation and the spread of small arms and light weapons.
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Cooperation to strengthen stability and security in Europe

54.The EU will consider ways to give more continuity, flexibility and substance to the cooperation with Ukraine on stability and security in Europe and to render it more operational and effective,within the framework of the existing political dialogue,as instituted under the PCA,by:

—exploring the possibilities of establishing regular expert level Troika dialogue meetings with Ukraine in the margins of CFSP working groups on disarmament,non-proliferation,export of conventional arms with a view to organising the first meetings during the year 2000/first semester 2000. The dialogue within these groups will aim to set up cooperation between the EU and Ukraine in the following fields:non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons and small arms and light weapons on the basis of the joint action on small arms (1999/34/CFSP),

—considering the possibility of intensifying the dialogue between the EU and Ukraine to promote responsibility and transparency in transfers of conventional arms,making full use of the EU Code of Conduct where appropriate,

—exploring the possibilities for closer cooperation in conflict prevention and crisis management,inter alia , in the framework of relevant international organisations,such as the United Nations and the OSCE, and in seeking a political settlement to conflicts in the Region. Periodic meetings between Ukraine and the Troika of the OSCE Working Group would help achieve this. One of the aims would be to work with Ukraine to develop joint foreign policy initia-
tives in the area of conflict prevention and crisis management with regard to specific third countries and regions, especially in areas adjacent to Ukraine.

55. The EU will,as soon as the year 2000,take up the following specific initiatives concerning the strengthening of security and stability in Europe:

—consider facilitating the participation of Ukraine when the EU avails itself of the Western European Union for missions within the range of the Petersberg tasks,

—consider means to assist Ukraine in fulfilling the obligations of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use,Stockpiling,Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction,

—consider means to initiate cooperation between the EU and Ukraine on prevention of trafficking of small arms,which is a source of instability for Ukraine and other States of the region.The EU could after identification and analysis of the situation and needs in the region,draw up a Joint Action on this subject with a view to:

1.reinforce control capacities of police and/or local custom services;

2.tackle this specific type of criminality in training courses;

3.develop exchange of information between the EU and Europol Member States in order to improve the analysis on criminal activity concerning small arms.