MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
13.11.2007
pursuant to Rule 115 of the Rules of Procedure
by Adam Bielan, Gintaras Didžiokas, Janusz Wojciechowski, Hanna Foltyn-Kubicka, Ewa Tomaszewska, Zdzisław Zbigniew Podkański, Ryszard Czarnecki, Marcin Libicki
on behalf of the UEN Group
on Uzbekistan
B6‑0453/2007
European Parliament resolution on Uzbekistan
The European Parliament,
- having regard to its previous resolutions on the Central Asian Republics and Uzbekistan and in particular to its resolutions of 27 October 2005 and 26 October 2006,
- having regard to the adoption by the European Council on 21-22 June 2007 of an EU Strategy for a new Partnership with Central Asia,
- having regard to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Uzbekistan, of the other part, which entered into force on 1 July 1999,
- having regard to the human rights clauses in this agreement,
- having regard to the Council Presidency statements on the human situation in Uzbekistan in 2005 and 2006,
- having regard to the conclusions of the EU General Affairs Council of 15-16 October 2007,
- having regard to the letter sent by the President of the European Parliament to Mr Narov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan,
- having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas the General Affairs Council imposed and extended sanctions on Uzbekistan following the events of May 2005 in Andijan,
B. whereas the government has not addressed all the conditions which the Council set out when sanctions were applied,
C. whereas the Ministry of Justice in Uzbekistan refused to officially recognize the Human Rights Watch Office Associate Ms Mihra Rittmann,
D. whereas the General Affairs Council decided to lift part of the sanctions concerning banning of visa adopted on Uzbekistan for a six-month period,
1. Takes note of the controversial decision taken at the General Affairs and External relations Council on 15 October 2007 to drop for a period of six months certain sanctions against Uzbekistan; hopes that this decision will improve EU-Uzbekistan relations, which should be based on mutual respect of principles of democracy, the rule of law and human rights as mentioned in the EU-Uzbekistan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement;
2. Invites the European Council to monitor and clearly evaluate after six months the effects of this measure on EU-Uzbekistan relations and to re-establish these sanctions if no progress is made in the field of human rights;
3. Expresses its concern about the refusal by the Ministry of Justice in Uzbekistan to officially recognize the Human Rights Watch Office and calls on the Uzbek authorities to reconsider this decision to show its commitment to the development of civil society in the country;
4. Urges the Uzbek Government to release the 15 Uzbek human rights defenders, given that EU has made the protection of human rights defenders a central concern of its external policies, in particular through the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders adopted in 2004;
5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and to the Commission, the EU Special Representative for Central Asia, the Government and the Parliament of Uzbekistan and the Secretary General of the United Nations.