Speeches

Mr President, High Representative / Vice-President, the Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, failing so massively his own country and his own people, decided to follow Vladimir Putin’s example. First intimidating and exerting violence against every group of political opposition to his regime. And recently also starting unilateral action against neighbouring Guyana, threatening virtual annexation of the crude-oil and gas-rich Essequibo province of the country. We have, High Representative / Vice-President to adopt more decisive measures to prevent Maduro’s regime from meddling all over the world in his actions.

Madam President, colleagues, Venezuela has been in the European Parliament’s agenda for a long time due to Maduro regime mostly internal policies, violation of human rights, impoverishing society and pushing people of his country out for long-standing migration. Now we are concerned by statements by Maduro himself of his aggressive, unilateral actions against Guyana. I kindly ask colleagues to focus on this topic during debate, as well as draw up a resolution to be adopted by the Parliament.

Madam President, I would like to thank all co-authors, real friends of Georgia, for excellent cooperation on this resolution, as well as very valuable contributions to final text that I hope will be voted positively. Tamaz Ginturi, a veteran of war waged by Russia on Georgia in 2008, was killed by Russian forces near the administrative boundary line while heading to church with his companion, who was later captured and detained. We name in the resolution names of other victims, but our call is to establish the EU sanction list, similar to Otkhozoria-Tatunashvili, the Georgian list, that is to lead us in imposing sanctions for these kinds of actions against civilians and the ordinary people of Georgia, patriots of this country.

Madam President, I pay tribute to all victims of Iranian mullahs. In June 2023, the Human Rights Council acknowledged the heavy deterioration of the human rights situation in Iran. In October 2023, the President of the UN Human Rights Council appointed Iran as the chair of UN Human Rights Council Social Forum. This decision was defended by the High Representative / Vice President of the Commission. Are our statements here just rituals? We demand consistency in our policy vis-a-vis Iran, in particular, with regard to the defence of human rights there, including the rights of EU citizens arbitrarily detained.

Mr President, Commissioner, even a general overview of the ICIJ Cyprus Confidential files based on seven leaked records raises enormous concern. Almost 100 billionaires and oligarchs have been able to evade imposed sanctions both post Crimea annexation and post February 2022, a full scale invasion, were able to evade sanctions thanks to European financial services systems, predominantly Cypriot but not only, thus enhancing Putin’s possibility to maintain further aggression and war crimes in Ukraine. Commissioner, you rightly raised the issue of beneficiary ownership records. We have to work on this because it is important, but we have to carefully overview the issue. It is certainly extremely disturbing.

Mr President, Commissioner, I’m afraid that picture you painted in your presentation, Commissioner, is less rosy than presented. Both of us know from bygone times how communist rule is able to slowly, consequently suffocate any free will, free speech, freedom of association and a free society within Hong Kong. On enacting the PRC national security law, four new crimes were introduced: secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with international organisations. All of these help the judiciary system of Hong Kong to really curb any free activity. We have to act with full resolve here in the European Parliament and in our discussions with PRC authorities.

Mr President, I commend the timing, scope and importance of what I consider to be the most important bound partnership of the world. It is necessary to align our foreign policies in times of challenge, in times of multiple threats. And here there are really many details still to discuss. Let me turn your attention to one thing, in particular linked to the war waged by the Russian Federation on Ukraine and our necessity to focus our attention on this, despite all the other challenges that we have to focus on as well. We need a kind of agriculture Ramstein to help Ukraine finance war and defence of the country. And it is not enough to absorb shocks, market shocks, just by the European Union. We need a much broader approach, also to support ... (The President cut off the speaker)

Madam President, on 6 November, yesterday, two Georgian citizens, Tamaz Ginturi and Levan Dotiashvili decided to go to the Lomisi church located close to the Tskhinvali occupation line. They wanted also to visit the nearby church cemetery. In the effect of this endeavour, Russian occupying forces killed one of them, Tamaz Ginturi, on Georgian territory, while the other man was taken hostage to an occupying detention place in the Tskhinvali area. I would like to request a debate with resolution on this.

Mr President, Minister, Commissioner, 600 days after the outbreak of the full scale invasion by Russia of Ukraine, we still discuss how to curb the power of Russia to perpetrate atrocities, war crimes, genocide. No question, the sanctions regime is unprecedented and very important, yet it is neither sufficient nor consequent. We have to broaden it and many items possible to take were already indicated. I would add to this diamonds, once more Rosatom, broadening individual sanctions, and I would add also sanctioning countries that allow so much circumvention of sanctions by Russia and here indicate the necessity to broaden the mini sanctions imposed in July on Belarus. Lukashenko is an accomplice of Russia and his regime should be punished as well.

Mr President, Minister, Commissioner, I wholeheartedly congratulate all Moldovans led by their courageous president, Maia Sandu, on their progress to the European Union, and I declare my unwavering support for their European path, hoping for very soon possibility decisions to open negotiations with Moldova. They proceed on their reforms on their way to the European Union, despite enormous – I repeat, enormous – difficulties. And that proves their will to join us as soon as possible. Our will should be similar.

Madame President, even applied on internationally recognised territory, use of force raises our legitimate high concern. In the case of the Azerbaijani offensive of 19 September, the exodus of Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh reached over 100 000 people, leading to effective depopulation of the territory. We look forward to talks on 5 October. Yet I think that engagement of the international community in this case should be much higher, including engagement of the European Union. The presence of Vladanka Andreeva, the UN representative in Azerbaijan and her team was too late, probably, and not sufficient. We need much broader and actually constant presence in order to ensure rights of people and security of both historic heritage and private and public property.

Madam President, Commissioner, – with this call in mind, Petras Auštrevičius led our efforts to present a very good report before the Parliament. It is already three years after fraudulent elections and the power of usurper Lukashenko intimidating his own nation in a most brutal way. All of us know these pictures from court proceedings. We know about the Russification of Belarusians and minorities in the country. But what is also important, we know that there were actions preceding the war of aggression on Ukraine by the Russian Federation that were actually accompanying and helping the aggressor, pushing migrants forcefully to neighbouring countries, including my country, Poland. I would like to thank border guards of all countries for their work in defending Europe in this difficult, dire situation. I pay tribute to Belarus and fighters fighting for the freedom of Ukraine. And of course I pay tribute to all those members of the democratic opposition that are so well organised to oppose the usurper.

Mr President, Vice President / High Representative, the policy of with Iran after the signing of the JCPOA did not bring positive results. On the contrary, it emboldened the mullahs’ regime in further subjugating its own people and also EU citizens with dual citizenship. Iran is also emboldened in continuing its support of terrorism and aligning itself with the most atrocious regimes of the world, including support for the war crimes and genocide perpetrated by the Russian Federation in Ukraine. We have to adopt a more resolute stance vis-à-vis the regime in Iran. We have to better support people who face atrocities leading to deaths of courageous people like Mahsa Amini.

Madam President, I firmly stand by María Corina Machado and other Venezuelan leaders deprived of their political rights by the Maduro regime. Unfortunately, there is consolidation of vicious regimes not only within Latin America, so Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, but also outside with influence of Russia, China – PRC – and quite recently of the Iranian regime, with the visit of President Raisi, with a whole range of ministers consolidating the power of violent dictatorship against their own societies and neighbouring countries. It should be raised during the EU—CELAC summit.

Madam President, Commissioner, I pay tribute to the victims of the Srebrenica genocide and feel the pain of their families. For us, members of the international community, it is not enough to repeat ‘never again’. Although we used to do this, Bucha and Irpin happened and therefore we have to do our utmost, whatever we can, in order in order to help Bosnia and Herzegovina to overcome wounds. It has been done by the Partnership for Peace and the Membership Action Plan of NATO. It has been done also with granting of candidacy status for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Yet we are concerned by actions of Dodik that are particularly dangerous in view of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Therefore we have to act decisively and with resolve. I really commend the report. I think it is well done, and therefore I think that it gives prospects for Bosnia and Herzegovina as well.

As European Parliament rapporteur for the opinion on the African strategy, I tried to convince my colleagues about the detrimental role of Russia – and China, by the way – knowing how difficult it was at that time. My second question is: to what extent are EU delegations in Africa tasked to inform about the neo—colonial posture of Russia ?

Mr President, Commissioner, since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU is already aware of near imperial policies, violence, cruelty, war crimes, and genocide perpetrated by Russia. What is less known, though, is the neo-colonial conquest perpetrated in many of territories directly or via proxies like Wagner groups. Is the EU aware of this fact? Is it ready and capable to raise awareness among our African partners? That is particularly relevant for them, and this process is extremely deteriorating to them and to the interest of the EU in Africa.

Mr President, there are areas like commercial trade policy, freedom of internet or freedom of religion that under basic law and the Sino-British Joint Declaration were to clearly differ Hong Kong from mainland China, ruled by the Communist Party. After the imposing of the national security law on Hong Kong, the fate of freedom-loving people like Jimmy Lai, his co-workers, in particular journalists of media outlets like Apple Daily and Stand News, were constant examples of harassment, intimidation and prosecution. Six executives of Apple Daily arrested under possibly very harsh conditions plead guilty. Jimmy Lai refused to do so. His court proceedings start in September. We have to stand by people like Jimmy Lai, a very prominent pro-democracy activist and businessman of Hong Kong, fighting there for freedom of his people that are all over the world nowadays. We should stand by them. We should follow the example of many other actions and impose targeted sanctions on those responsible for intimidating and prosecuting people of Hong Kong.

Mr President, High Representative / Vice-President, decades of destabilisation of Latin America, unprecedented repression against the Cuban people, alignment with the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, and yet you decided to go to Cuba just a week after the declarations by the Cuban regime of unconditional support for this war. This policy, High Representative / Vice-President, should be reassessed.

Mr President, High Representative, it seems that whenever Russia has a difficult stage in the war against Ukraine – for example now with blowing up the Nova Kakhovka dam, it tries to portray its peacekeeping role in the Caucasus. Is it so that this involvement in this process is simply needed by Russia in order to keep certain support in the non-West sphere?

Mr President, High Representative/Vice-President, hot stages of the Armenian-Azerbaijani war were accompanied by unprecedented information campaign or information warfare, engaging both sides and third parties as well. Similar information campaigns accompany, unfortunately, also the negotiations. I would like to commend the involvement of international community, including the EU and yourself, in supporting enhancing the process, that is, extremely important ongoing negotiations of both parties. Are you aware of the engagement still of Russian Federation in trying to undermine this process?

Mr President, Minister, Vice-President, blowing up the Nova Kakhovka dam was once more showing the evil face of the Russian Federation. Vice-President, Minister, the long list of efforts of the EU you mentioned during your speech is commendable. Yet I have to appeal to all of us to step up our efforts because much more is needed to help Ukraine really decisively win this war. Blowing up Nova Kakhovka means not only suffering of people, although my heart is with them, but shows the totally new method used in warfare by the Russian Federation – clearly asymmetric methods, and therefore I strongly support what you said in your last sentence, Vice—President, and what Rasa Juknevičienė said today: we have to respond positively to the will of the Ukrainian people to join NATO and the EU as soon as possible. It is not only for their security. It is for the security of all of us.

Madam President, Commissioner, allow me at the beginning two reflections. First, the term territorial integrity usually applies to internationally recognised borders, and secondly, many conflicts in the region are to be improved with Russia’s defeat in the war waged against Ukraine. I think that to the list enumerated by Commissioner of important parts in our relationship with Azerbaijan, we have to add security issues as well. Therefore, I commend the role of the EU representative to the Caucasus and his actions to enhance dialogue and, secondly, the NATO Secretary General’s personal initiative with representatives, as well as US actions. We have to serve as real honest broker. That means trying not to take sides.