22 Amendments of Ignazio CORRAO related to 2015/2220(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the Central Asia region is defined by its Tsarist Russian and – in particular – its Soviet past, which included brutal repression, coercive secularisation and separation into republics; recalls that its borders were drawn by Stalin to facilitate a divide-and- rule policy, bclimate, geography, arid soil and landlocked position, as well as by Soviet domination and former Soviet administrative structures, which have metamorphosed into oligarchical bureaucracies connected to factions and families; points out that, at the same time, there was an extensive build-up of economic and social infrastructure to meet needs and serve the Communist integration projectEU is playing a relatively muted role in the Central Asian region and that, despite the low volumes of trade, it is an important trading partner of each of the countries in the area;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes the common characteristics resulting from more ancient history, including that of the Silk Routes, the colonisation by Turkic tribes and the reception of Islam; notes that, in particular for hydrographic reasons and on account of the wholly landlocked situation of most of thealso that the five countries in the region are at differing stages in their development: Kazakhstan is emerging as a key player in the region, with whom EU relations are progressing strongly; Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are much poorer, but are relatively open, with a degree of civil society involvement; the EU relationship is also growing with Uzbekistan, but Turkmenistan remains the most closed countries,y in the re exists significant interdependence between themgion, with no effective independent civil society;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Points out that, as in Africa, however, China’s input includes the mass importation of Chinese labour and civil engineering skills, which has led to some unpopularity, perhaps exacerbated in Tajikistan by the absence of so many local men, who have gone to work in Russia;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Stresses the importance of the EU seizing the opportunity of development cooperation in order to promote respect for human rights and achieve the SDGs so as to raise levels of trade and investment in all countries in the region and strengthen the role and involvement of the social partners in civil society;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Emphasises thate need to train and prepare the populations of the region to manage emergencies associated with disasters caused by climate change, which is creating major threats and that another major earthquake, while major seismic events could well occur in south- eastern Central Asia;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas the United States has withdrawn its troops from Afghanistan and closed its military bases in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan; whereas the situation in Afghanistan continues to threaten the security of the region; whereas Russia is the most significant partner for countries in Central Asia in terms of defence, but China is becoming hugely important in terms of trade;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recognises the many difficulties in the region posed not least by the pervasive corruption, the determination of the Uzbek and Turkmen Governments tightly to control political activities, and the poor relations between some countries, which are hindering progress in regional cooperation, and would like to see the development of local conflict resolution mechanisms, in particular with a view to promoting effective water managementensuring the population has access to water resources in the region; takes the view that the EU must also address sustainable water managementpromoting implementation of the circular economy, sustainable agriculture and the public management of water resources in its development programmes; calls for EU assistance efforts and funding allocation to be better adapted to these conditions;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to launch a coordinated joint approach with China, Russia and India to combating drugs trafficking, aimed at pinpointing its underlying causes and measures via which it can be prevented;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Notes that there is great potential for improving energy efficiency and developing renewable energy sources and that there is a very strong case for enhancing cooperation in these areas, since the EU has developed considerable policy expertise and a strong sustainable energy industry, as well as for widening cooperation in the region to ensure greater transparency over government revenues from energy sources and a strengthening of the role of civil society;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Points out that building a strategic, modern and interoperable road and railway infrastructure along the Silk Road route is a key interest for China, the EU and Russia, and that the successful integration of this region through modern and reliable infrastructure would offer a major opportunity not just for greater regional economic integration but also to promote the mobility of people and multicultural exchange, in turn producing a better environment for advancing the rule of law and democracy;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. urges the Council, the EEAS and the Commission to prioritise the promotion of democratic transformation, thereby providing a stronger bulwark against external and internal political, security and economic pressures and challenges;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. deeply regrets that the region has become yet more unstable and that overall respect for democratic standards, human rights and fundamental freedoms has further deteriorated during the reporting period; regrets that the human rights situation overall remains worrying, despite limited positive developments in some countries of the region, including legislative reforms, increased efforts to prevent torture, and steps towards the eradication of the use of child labour and forced labour;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. condemns the continued persecution of human rights defenders, opposition political figures and journalists in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and, regrettably, also in Kyrgyzstan, and calls on the EEAS to speak out and take action in their defence;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. understands the risk to security posed by returning foreign fighters who have been fighting alongside Daesh, but expresses its deep concern at the growing trend towards clampdown on civil society on the pretext of security and stability, which it does not consider in any case to be a suitable response to this threat;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. welcomes the establishment of Human Rights Dialogues with all five countries of Central Asia; points out, however, the lack of transparency of the process, and calls on the VP/HR to review the role, mandate, objectives and follow-up of the Human Rights Dialogues with the countries of the region, and in particular to involve all stakeholders and introduce systematic human rights monitoring mechanisms, especially Islamic reformist political movements which are opposed to extremism, and introduce systematic human rights monitoring mechanisms, and contingency plans in case these mechanisms reveal serious shortcomings, in countries with which the EU has entered into legally binding agreements;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. considers the education sector to be vital in the long term, and welcomes the commitment of Latvia, with the help of Poland, to lead the regional programme on education; regards investment in education as the best way to improve the socio- economic situation of the region; but insists that problems related to ‘brain-drain’ and unequal access to education are taken into account;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. is of the opinion that economic and trade relations with the countries of Central Asia must in no way developadvance hand in hand with and never at the expense of the rule of law, democracy, and human rights and fundamental freedoms;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. recognises that the main threats and challenges identified in the Strategy for Central Asia remain relevant, but that cooperation regarding security, like economic cooperation, must advance hand in hand with, and not at the expense of, democratic standards and human rights; is, however, acutely aware of the additional external pressures stemming from the current security challenges in Afghanistan, as well as the opaque foreign policy of Russia aimed at reintegration of former Soviet space, triggered by the crisis in Ukraine;
Amendment 332 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. emphasises that deeper political and economic relations must be based on shared values and correspond toxpects, with the finalisation of the EU-Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, an active and concrete engagement by Kazakhstan on political and democratic reforms, stemming from its international obligations and commitments;
Amendment 359 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. points out that further efforts are needed to develop a fully functioning democracy, despite the initial encouraging signs shown by Kyrgyzstan regarding pursuing democratic reforms and shifting towards a genuine multi-party system, as one of the pilot countries for EU democracy support; considers that initial steps towards improving democratic standards must be further encouraged and incentivised, and expects concrete results from the new coalition government in this regard;
Amendment 391 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38 a. expresses concern about the forced expropriation and demolition of an entire neighbourhood of homes in Ashgabat as part of the preparations for the 2017 Asian Indoor Games; considers that the Turkmen authorities should take advantage of the opportunity afforded to them as hosts of this international event to improve the human rights situation in the country; expresses alarm about the corruption that creates social inequality, making Turkmenistan a rich country but one that suffers from centralisation of power and resources, which is oriented towards China and shows no evident interest in developing a relationship with the EU;
Amendment 395 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)
Paragraph 39 a (new)
39 a. points out that Uzbekistan unfortunately continues to have one of the worst records in the world in many areas, including respect for human rights, freedom of the press and corruption, and notes the Uzbek Government’s refusal to undertake significant reforms; reiterates its expectation that the EU will actively pursue the objective of democratisation in this country, and that the VP/HR will develop a policy of critical, conditional and coherent European engagement with Uzbekistan;