Speeches

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, we have always strongly supported the Armenian reforms towards establishing a stable, well-functioning democracy, while also advocating for peace in the region and the end of the hostilities with Azerbaijan. From one side, it is important to note the cynical behaviour of Russia. Armenia relied on its commitment and was heavily deceived. This logically led to the brave step of Prime Minister Pashinyan to suspend Armenia’s membership of the Moscow-controlled Collective Security Treaty Organisation. Russia has never been a true friend and ally of Armenia, and has always followed its own imperialistic agenda in the region and in the world. On the other side, the EU has a strong interest in a politically stable and economically prosperous Southern Caucasus. In this regard, deepening EU-Armenia relations is vital. The EU is the largest developing cooperation donor in Armenia and its second trading partner. EU-Armenia relations have never been stronger, and a comprehensive and enhanced partnership agreement has been used by Armenia as a blueprint for a domestic reform agenda. At the same time, Armenia’s relations with Azerbaijan remain a major obstacle for Armenia’s socio-economic development and stability in the region. I support the efforts of Prime Minister Pashinyan to continue bilateral and multilateral discussions with Azerbaijan in order to reach a peaceful agreement between the two neighbours, which must uphold the three principles established in the Helsinki Final Act: non-use of force; territorial integrity; and equal rights of self-determination of peoples. What we are currently doing for, and together with, Armenia is only the start. We need to deepen our work in the field of economy, finance, social affairs, security and defence. Armenia is not alone. We should also lift the visa for Armenian citizens as soon as possible. EU is with Armenia and with the brave people of Armenia. (The speaker concluded in a non-EU language)

Madam President, freedom of speech and expression is also linked to the responsibility not to allow hate speech, calls for violence and disinformation into the public domain in support of criminal ideologies such as National Socialism and Communism. I know that it may come as a surprise to some colleagues to hear that freedom of speech does not include the freedom to lie and spread hatred and disinformation in favour of dictators or of communism, Nazism and their nostalgia. Democracy needs an effective, strong immune system against this, and the European Digital Services Act is one part of this system. Once again, in this Chamber, we are raising the issue of the responsibility of platforms in the fight against hate speech and disinformation. And unfortunately, once again, we have to note that these companies have not taken the necessary measures to limit the spread of propaganda, hatred and lies. Putin’s war against Ukraine and Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel are accompanied by disinformation and propaganda strategies in support of the Kremlin, terrorism, antisemitism and discrimination in general. In the region of the Western Balkans, and Bulgaria included, there is a constant dissemination of content that causes nostalgia for the criminal communist regimes, the Soviet Union and the current regime in Moscow. Despite citizens’ efforts to flag and report this type of content, platforms often hide behind their codes of conduct or community standards, in other words, their own criteria. As a result of this content, many groups and profiles that clearly support regimes and actions that the European Union defines as criminal continue to be, to exist and to spread widely. I invite the Commission and the platforms to comply with the new legislation and to work towards freeing the online space from propaganda, disinformation and hate speech.

Madam President, it is crystal clear that the aim of the Russian political establishment is to divide and weaken the European Union, to make the European Union ineffective, imbued with conflicts and disagreements. Examples of topics on which Russia is working and seeking disunity by spreading disinformation are many - economy, migration, energy, social and family topics, history, regional conflicts such as Catalonia, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Kosovo, Brexit and many, many others. The lack of effective decommunization of the educational system and the social environment in Eastern Europe makes it much easier for Russia to influence these countries. Democracy needs an effective immune system to protect itself from these malign influences. Commissioner, I think that only with the joint efforts of national governments and the European institutions can we protect ourselves and we will be successful in protecting ourselves from Russian malign influence.

on behalf of the ALDE Group. - Madam President, I support Serbia's European integration and believe that it is non-alternative. The idea of the European Union is to overcome the hostility imposed on us by the ideologies of the past. Serbia has a serious influence on most Western Balkan countries, which increases its responsibility. In addition to close cooperation with Russia, domestically we observe not only the problems during the electoral process, which colleagues mentioned, but also the systematic violation of the rights of ethnic communities. I'll introduce you to just one of the recent cases. On November 8, the Day of the Western Outskirts, important for the Bulgarian community in Serbia, a group of civilian policemen invaded the Bulgarian Cultural Center in Bosilegrad. They brought charges of ethnic and religious hatred against the director Ivan Nikolov and seized all the books of the poet Edvin Sugarev "Elegy for the Kraishteto". Ivan Nikolov is threatened with 10 years in prison. At the same time, Edvin Sugarev was prevented from studying in Serbia. I myself am the author of the foreword to this book and it in no way incites ethnic or religious hatred. Unfortunately, there is a constant hate speech against the Bulgarian community in the Serbian public space. This is the same practice that we see in North Macedonia with regard to Bulgarians. And it should be clearly said that the center is the same - these are the south-communist elites and their successors, who still occupy key positions in both countries. I wish rapid integration of Serbian citizens and overcoming all these problems of the past. Serbia should be judged only by its deeds and not by well-written laws.

Mr President, the reunification of our continent on the basis of our common European values is the most important condition for our security and prosperity. The transformative power of the European Union must be renewed every day with clear plans and a timeframe for the admission of the new member states. Wherever we leave a grey zone in Europe, Russia will try to fill it. This was felt on their backs by the Ukrainians on the basis of our big mistake that we did not accept them at that time in NATO. Full integration of these countries into our Union is imperative as a geostrategic investment in a stable, strong and united Europe. Of course, integration is a two-way street, and candidate countries must overcome the problems of the past. To achieve historical reconciliation, overcoming hate speech and non-discrimination of all citizens, regardless of how they define themselves. This is a fair and fundamental value of the European Union. I would like to say here that nostalgia for communism, Tito and the momentum of this period are not part of the Copenhagen criteria. And the sooner we understand that this momentum from the past has to be overcome in the countries of the former Yugoslavia, the better. We want to give a clear signal to the citizens of the countries of the region that they are not forgotten and that we are doing everything possible to help them, but full membership depends on the will of their political elites to implement the necessary reforms.

Madam President, Commissioner, Members, Welcome, dear Mr. Denkov, dear Mrs. Gabriel! I am very happy that you are among us today. Bulgaria has a pro-European, democratic, predictable government, of which you are Prime Minister, mainly thanks to the state behavior of the GERB party and its chairman Mr. Borisov, thanks to our desire for Bulgaria to get out of the trap of hatred and chaos of the last three years. Especially today, as you have outlined this extremely worrying situation around the world, it is very important that every country in the European Union has a predictable, pro-European and effective government. Unfortunately, with the serious role of your party, there has been a big delay in European funding for the Bulgarian economy, the suspension of important infrastructure projects, which has led to serious damage and lost profits for businesses and citizens. The unclear geopolitical behavior in your previous coalition with pro-Russian forces, I hope, will not happen again in the Sofia Municipal Council. GERB again came to your aid in the second round and you did not lose the capital. For us, democratic and European Bulgaria is above all, even above party interests. We are and will continue to be the guarantor of this as a major stabilizing political factor in Bulgaria. I also hope that our common efforts for a democratic social environment, culture and education will be successful and that the remnants and propaganda artifacts of the totalitarian dictatorship will find their place in museums and textbooks. I hope that in the past will remain the signing of memoranda with funds close to Russian oligarchs, as well as this strange protection of the derogation for the import of crude Russian oil from the refinery close to the Kremlin, Lukoil, through which Bulgaria fills the Kremlin's military budget. I would like to end with gratitude, especially to Mrs Gabriel, for her efforts to overcome Bulgaria's obstacles to our accession to the Schengen area, as well as in our preparations for the euro area. I would also like to thank Mrs Gabriel for the very good work that we have obtained from our membership of the UN Human Rights Council. This is a very good signal for Bulgaria. Mr. Denkov, Mrs. Gabriel and of course Mrs. Ivanova, very encouraging are the signals from the last few days for understanding of the pro-European democratic forces in Bulgaria. Today's vote in the Bulgarian Parliament is also such a signal. We have a lot of work ahead of us and I am convinced that with joint efforts, Mr Denkov, we will be able to achieve even more success for the European development of Bulgaria, a respected and dignified member of the European Union, a more effective, more united European Union that works for the physical, social and economic security of its citizens.

, – Mr President, social networks have a huge responsibility to citizens all over the world. They are not just tech companies, they are powerful portals for disseminating information, and with this power comes the responsibility to protect consumers from malicious actors who spread disinformation, hatred, glorification of terrorism and violence. Since the beginning of Putin's war against Ukraine, we have seen countless publications containing pro-Kremlin propaganda and Soviet nostalgia in vulnerable countries, especially in the Western Balkans, but also in Bulgaria. Another example is anti-Semitic content, which spreads without restrictions, especially in the days following Hamas' horrific terrorist attack on Israel. We clearly see how such publications are neither promptly removed nor marked as containing false claims and hate speech. They collect hundreds of thousands of reactions and remain available, which is both illegal and immoral. Despite the presence of Meta and TickTock on the lists of companies that follow the European Union Code of Practice on Disinformation, their commitment clearly does not prevent the spread of propaganda. I welcome the calls by the Commission, Meta, TicToc and X (X) to comply with the Digital Services Act, especially with regard to the timely, diligent and objective removal of illegal content. More effort is needed. There should be more serious consequences for users or groups that systematically distribute false or hateful content, such as banning publication or blocking such pages and groups altogether. My observations are that Meta's algorithms increase the visibility of content containing hate, pro-Kremlin, anti-Semitic information, glorification of terrorism, and vice versa, limit the objective point of view. Meta's behavior is unacceptable.

Mr President, a few clear points. I strongly condemn the dreadful terrorist attack that Hamas carried out against Israel. Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorism, in accordance with international law, combating terrorism, not targeting the Palestinian civilian population. We must recognise and support this right while striving for a peaceful resolution. The fight against terrorism is also our fight in the EU. While the war against Hamas is taking place, the EU must continue to provide humanitarian aid to the population of Palestine. At the same time, we need to ensure that in no way EU funding directly or indirectly supports the activities of Hamas or other terrorist organisations. We cannot allow resources meant for the essential needs of Palestinians to be diverted for violence purposes. I strongly urge the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. It is inhumane to use innocent lives as bargaining chips, and I fully condemn this practice. Lastly, it is essential to acknowledge and denounce the role of external actors in these actors in this conflict. The involvement of Iran in training and funding Hamas, as well the involvement of pro-Kremlin forces in the physical support of Hamas, and the spread of propaganda and disinformation supporting Hamas further complicate the situation and cannot be accepted anymore.

Mr President, Commissioner, honourable Members, the sanctions against Russia, as well as the fight against Russia's spy networks in the European Union, have different levels of effectiveness in different Member States. We need to ensure that the cash flows going to the Russian budget are kept to a minimum. They are used to continue the war in Ukraine, to destroy both human lives and the infrastructure of this country. Circumvention of sanctions through third countries is a huge problem, as the Commission has also said. The inclusion of many more supporters of the regime and their families, who have assets in the European Union, is also on the agenda. The aggressor, whose bombs have destroyed so many hospitals, schools, kindergartens, homes and civilian infrastructure, must pay for their restoration. I therefore turn once again to both the Commission and the Council. The legal basis for using the frozen assets of the Russian Federation for the reconstruction of Ukraine must be found.

Mr President, Commissioner, Council, colleagues, first of all, all those responsible for the attack by the Serb armed group need to be brought to justice. To achieve this, there needs to be an in-depth investigation. Who was behind the attack, who gave the orders, and where did the weapons and other equipment come from? Putin’s Russia is strongly interested in destabilising the Balkans. Therefore we have to be very careful to prevent further provocation attempts. Secondly, KFOR must be strengthened and preventive measures have to be put in place in order to ensure such a terrorist attack cannot happen again. Finally, most importantly for the stability of the region, peace negotiations are essential to reduce tensions and reach an acceptable solution, with the final goal of full recognition of Kosovo by Serbia. I will repeat again our call to the Serbian leadership to choose a side, either with the EU and the democratic countries, or with Putin’s Russia. Compliance with EU foreign policy, including the sanctions against Russia and Belarus, and standing with Ukraine, is essential. Unfortunately, the Serbian influence is still malicious in neighbouring countries supporting an anti-EU agenda, not only in Kosovo but also in North Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. I hope and will be very happy to see a democratic Serbia overcoming the legacy of Yugoslav totalitarian dictatorship and the Milošević doctrine.

Madam President, Commissioner, Minister, dear colleagues, I cannot hide I am very sad. We are witnessing a huge failure of the international community in the last decades. There were three basic principles, apparently agreed by Azerbaijan and Armenia, namely: non-use of force, the right of self-determination and territorial integrity. Azerbaijan violated two of them by using force on multiple occasions and by continued refusal to let the population of Nagorno-Karabakh exercise their right to self-determination. Currently, we are observing ethnic cleansing through the creation of dramatic conditions for the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians. First, the blockade of the Lachin corridor led to lack of basic commodities and services and second, the hateful rhetoric and actions by all levels of the Azerbaijan Government created a poisonous atmosphere of fear and led to a mass exodus of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians. The suffering of those people is the result of bigger geopolitical calculations, where Russia disregarded its obligations under the November 2020 trilateral statement and took the side of Azerbaijan to punish the Armenian Government for their steps in the way of deepening the EU-Armenian relations. The EU must immediately and consistently support humanitarian aid for those suffering, and Azerbaijan has to guarantee the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians’ safe return and a safe life in Nagorno-Karabakh. These conditions need to be met by monitoring of the international community agreed by Azerbaijan and Armenia.

In recent years, we have seen an increase in the spread of far-left and far-right speeches, which find their place in both traditional media and social networks. In many countries, the manipulative portrayal of historical events, facts and personalities remains a breeding ground for anti-democratic ideologies and contributes to the normalisation of hate speech. I will give an example of the content of Palestinian textbooks, which, despite the recommendations of the European Union, continue to indoctrinate children with manipulative and antisemitic claims. Using these techniques to distort and misinterpret historical facts and personalities thwarts all reconciliation plans and creates prerequisites for the continuation of conflicts between neighbors. A similar example can be found in the Balkans, where the Republic of North Macedonia fails to part with communist dogmas and distorted interpretations of events, facts and historical personalities, which again leads to hatred and lack of reconciliation. Social networks are in the hands of private companies, we should not forget who make decisions based on their internal community standards about which statements their algorithms widely disseminate and which limit. There is clearly no difference between the far-left communist disinformation campaign leading to hatred and the far-right Nazi racist one. Unfortunately, this is not a fact in the algorithms of META, for example. Far-left and far-right statements pose a huge threat to democracy, which is obliged to build its immune system in order to defend itself. Both extremes abuse and take advantage of the principles of democracy, the main pillar of which is freedom of speech, to instill fear, division, hatred in their quest to gain attention. It is critical that we reach a democratic consensus so that we do not allow the normalisation of far-left and far-right speeches and that they cannot use democratic principles as a weapon for them to eradicate democracy itself. If we do not provide an effective immune system for democracy today against far-left, far-right and anti-Semitic speech, tomorrow may be too late.

Mr President, the European Union and, of course, NATO must continue with assistance to Ukraine, macro-financial assistance, economic assistance and, of course, military assistance, in order for Ukraine to regain its territorial integrity and sovereignty. That's what we should want. Yes, we want peace, and I address all those who say they want peace. We all want peace, so we must insist on Putin. Those who want peace should ask Putin for this peace, to return all Russian military units, to leave the territory of Ukraine, Ukraine to restore its territorial integrity and, accordingly, to be able to return to the situation that was before the war. Another very important topic for the European Commission. Of course, the aggressor must pay for the reconstruction of Ukraine. Of course, these frozen assets of the Russian Federation must be able, to find a way, as Canada already does, to be able to be used for the reconstruction of Ukraine. More than 500 billion euros may already be needed, and this money is increasing every day to allow Ukraine to rebuild its Russian-destroyed infrastructure. Ukraine must restore its territorial integrity. This is the end of this war.

Mr President, Bulgarian and Romanian citizens turn to us with just discontent that for more than 10 years nothing has happened and the Council has not taken the decision to admit Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area. There's always some excuse, some hypocritical argument for it. Last week the last hypocrisy used by the Netherlands disappeared, and this is the official termination of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism against Bulgaria and Romania. This delay or reluctance on the part of the Netherlands and Austria to accept the decision must be overcome. Nor can we apologise for any, be it local elections in Austria or now early parliamentary elections in the Netherlands. I call on the Commission, in the person of the President of the Commission as well, to speak to the current caretaker government of the Netherlands. We can no longer wait for any election anywhere. Bulgaria and Romania should be part of the Schengen area this year.

Mr President, Mr Commissioner, colleagues, for several years now, we have been witnessing the dire situation unfolding in Lebanon with a social, economic and political crisis entangled to create an extremely worrying situation which is becoming more difficult day by day. We must address this and advocate for a sustainable path towards political stability, prosperity and progress. I would like to urge all stakeholders in Lebanon to prioritise the national interest. It is time to work towards a unified vision to ensure that Lebanon has a future. The election of a president and putting together a government is a crucial step towards restoring stability, ensuring governance and rebuilding trust in the institutions, especially in the aftermath of the Beirut blast. But Commissioner, we can do even more. We should also think about personal targeted sanctions for those who are blocking the political transition and economic recovery of Lebanon. The international community, including the European Union, has to stand with Lebanon. The people of Lebanon deserve a safe and predictable future.

–Mr President, I would like to move the following oral amendment to Amendment 5 on paragraph 4: ‘Condemns the ongoing blockade of the Lachin corridor, which is worsening the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh; condemns the deadly incident between Azerbaijan and the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh on 5 March 2023, which resulted in multiple deaths and once again jeopardised the process towards establishing peace between the two countries.’

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, I hear your voice and I share your sadness about the decades—long non—resolution of this conflict causing so much suffering for all people in the region. This is a failure not only of the Minsk Group co-chairs, but of the entire international community. For a long time we left the initiative to Putin, and his only goal is to increase his influence in the region and the dependence of the state of Armenia by Russia. I share the view of all of you that we should support much stronger EU involvement as a facilitator and mediator of the peaceful resolution of this terrible current situation. The key points are: immediate de—blocking of the Lachin corridor, effective guarantees for the Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh; a peace treaty between both sides, with all the elements we counted before. But the most important thing is that the people in the region should have a peaceful future, should invest in their education, in their career, and not in weapons and not in fight and not in hate and not in discrimination. I call again on Azerbaijan to de—block the Lachin corridor and a serious, effective, fruitful peace treaty with Armenia.

Madam President, dear colleagues, Commissioner, tomorrow in the context of the ongoing three—month long blockade of the Lachin corridor, we will vote in the European Parliament on the report on EU—Armenia relations. I have proposed amendments to reflect the cutting of this vital connection with Armenia, which is worsening the humanitarian crisis for the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. I urge Azerbaijan to take all possible measures to ensure unrestricted movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin corridor in both directions. This is the decision also taken by the International Court of Justice on 22 February this year. In addition to this first comment, the report we are going to vote on tomorrow transmits a number of important messages. We reiterate the principles of the United Nations Charter and the OSCE Helsinki Final Act, namely the non—use of force, the territorial integrity and the equal rights of self—determination of people. Only the full respect of all these principles can lead to a peaceful resolution of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. I am very sad to see that the Minsk Group failure to lead for a reliable solution. We stick for decades to the format and we must finally admit its failure. Two of the main principles of this basic principle were violated. Force was used and there was no will to respect the self—determination of people. We cannot consider Russia as a fair facilitator, but only as a regime that wants to keep and increase Armenia’s dependence on it for as long as possible. In the report, we call on Armenia to consider diversifying its security partnership and move away from its reliance on Russia, where Putin’s regime has demonstrated it cannot be a trusted partner. I welcome the establishment of the EU mission in Armenia after a successful EU monitoring capacity between 20 October and 19 December 2022. To make full use of the strong EU engagement, I would like to urge Azerbaijan to allow the EU mission access to its side of the border as well. This is an important confidence—building step between the two countries. A key element is a reliable international guarantee for the future of the Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh, in the area of security, social life, religious freedom, education, among others. The other important aspects for a peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan are: the process of border delimitation and demarcation; the signature of a peace treaty; the establishment of a transport link between Lachin and the western regions of Azerbaijan; the release of all remaining Armenian prisoners, both military and civilians; the prevention of any future destruction of cultural heritage; and the agreement to refrain from using hate speech and violent rhetoric, especially at the highest level of state and government. It is important also to mention and welcome the steps towards normalisation of relations between Armenia and Turkey, including through the act of solidarity of Armenia in relation to the tragic earthquake which hit Turkey and Syria on 6 February. In the text of the report, we also welcome the entry into force of the EU—Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement and encourage Armenia to continue working towards its full implementation. We also note the progress made by Armenia in reforming the judiciary, carrying out constitutional and police reform, as well as working together with the EU on a wide range of fields of cooperation with Europol, the European Migration Network, Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, Creative Europe. We call for the completion of the process of visa liberalisation between the EU and Armenia in order to support people—to—people contacts, closer bilateral ties and reform processes. The section on human rights and fundamental freedoms includes provision of gender equality, combating violence against women and protection of LGBTIQ community. I would like also to raise another point related to members of the opposition parties in Armenia. It is always questionable when members of the opposition are denied the possibility to participate in meetings of the European parties to which they are affiliated. Let me finish by thanking my colleagues for the great cooperation on this report, and I look forward to a fruitful discussion today.

Thank you very much, dear Olivér, for what you said. And I followed very closely also the negotiation framework and the implementation of this prerequisite for the starting of the second governmental conference. But can you please confirm that this is not only the change of the constitution but also the respect of the treaty from 2017, which – it is very important to mention and to emphasise the treaty – which, with the two protocols, are also something which the Commission is monitoring for the starting of the negotiations? Thank you very much.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear Oliver. First, I would like to start by thanking you for your efforts in the accession process of the countries of the Western Balkans, despite all the multi-layered problems related to the candidate countries, historically related to identity, regional and religious issues, as well as the influence of Russia. Macedonian Bulgarians, like all other citizens, must live in security and tranquility for themselves and their families. They must have equal opportunities for education and career development and live in an environment free from discrimination and hatred towards them. This is the basis of our European Union and it is not some banal bilateral dispute. Winning populist, pseudo-nationalist voices with this theme works against the interests of the citizens of Macedonia. That's what I want to ask you. What else can the Commission and you personally do to overcome this momentum of the past, to overcome hatred in public speaking, in the academic world, in the political circles in the Republic of North Macedonia? To help this country join the European Union more quickly, which is in the interest of all of us.

Madam President, Commissioner, nature has confronted us with a huge tragedy that shows us once again how fragile human life is. There is no way to bring back the more than 35,000 who have so far died in Turkey, no matter how many in Syria, but at least we can reduce the suffering of those who have experienced this horror. The European Union has shown in practice that it is based on the idea of solidarity, compassion and empathy. This support of ours cannot only be fleeting, it must be permanent. Turkey is our neighbor and our thoughts are with our friends. The European Union must redouble its efforts to help the people who have suffered in Syria. Support needs to be increased because the number of casualties is growing daily, and the situation in Syria is turning into a terrible humanitarian catastrophe, in addition to the 12 years of war in the region. I would like to express my gratitude to all those who immediately came to the rescue. I thank the European Commission, the national rescue services, including the Bulgarian one, the millions of European citizens who donate every day. Every life saved is a ray of hope. All help gives hope that our human civilization, with joint efforts, will be able to survive every challenge.

Madam President, there is no justification for the Kremlin's crimes in Ukraine and they cannot be left without consequences. There can be no impunity. The European institutions and the Member States must now take the initiative to establish an international tribunal for the aggression against Ukraine. There must be justice for the hundreds of thousands of victims, which include Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Romanians, Moldovans, Tatars, Belarusians, Hungarians, Poles, Jews, Armenians and many other peoples. Let us not forget the Russians themselves, who are also suffering and dying under the blows of Kremlin aggression, as well as the Russian soldiers who were victims of their superiors. I want to end with an insightful thought by Vasil Levski, the titan of the Bulgarian national liberation of the 19th century. When asked what he would do after the Liberation of Bulgaria, he replied: ‘When Bulgaria is liberated, then I will go to Russia and set up committees, because there the people are oppressed more than we are.’ In Russia, this was in the 19th century, it was in the 20th century and, unfortunately, to this day. If this is not to be the case in the future, the example of Germany after 1945 must be repeated. The Tribunal will also be in favour of the future of a democratic Russia.

Mr President, 11 years, 11 years, we repeat the same thing, the Commission, Parliament, the independent security experts, that Bulgaria and Romania fulfil all the technical criteria and there is always someone in the Council who says that because of the internal and political situation, be it elections, local, national or other internal policies, this is not the moment. I can no longer listen to these explanations now is not the time or the search for other arguments, such as the rule of law mechanism, which is for all countries in the European Union, which has no connection with the technical Schengen criteria, which both Bulgaria and Romania fulfil. Bulgaria contributes to the security of all European citizens. We are part of the Schengen Information System, our Border Police officers protect both Dutch citizens, Austrian citizens, Swedish citizens and every European citizen. This behavior was unworthy of last week, it must be corrected as quickly as possible and no action in terms of separation of the two sides, here it must be said very clearly, because colleagues did not say it before. There can be no division of Bulgaria and Romania, they fulfil the same criteria and should be in the Schengen area at the same time as quickly as possible.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, the European Union and Egypt are partners and friends and as such, we can share our concerns and engage with goodwill and in good faith for the improvement of the human rights situation in Egypt. We believe that only with such positive engagement can we achieve good results for the benefit of the citizens of Egypt, as well as for the civil society, the free media and all minority groups in the country. We do not believe that we can achieve this goal by pressuring the government with non—constructive resolutions. We need to engage with open minds and at a different level with the Egyptian Government and civil society as the EU and the Commission has already been doing. Egypt is a key and strategic partner for the EU and an important regional player in a region defined by instability and conflict. The EU-Egypt relations entail a multitude of important areas from energy, trade, science and cultural cooperation to the fight against international terrorism. The EU has supported Egypt in its security, economic and political challenges, and the European Commission has allocated EUR 100 million to Egypt from the mechanism Food and Resilience Facility in order to mitigate the impact of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. We observe the work of the Egyptian presidential pardon committee, which conducts investigation of cases of prisoners’ situations that are not complying with international human rights standards. Up to this moment, we have seen over 1 000 detainees released, which is a step in the right direction. However, we should like to see all people arrested in relation to the protests in Egypt released. Following the ninth EU-Egypt Association Council meeting this summer it is critical to keep up and reinforce the EU commitment and willingness to cooperate with Egypt in the important area of democracy, fundamental freedoms and human rights, gender equality and equal opportunity, as well to address the root causes of terrorism and extremism.