Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

Added66. Takes positive note of the Commission’s recommendation to the Council to grant Georgia the status of candidate country on the understanding that further steps are taken on fighting disinformation, aligning with the CFSP, improving the implementation of parliamentary oversight and addressing political polarisation, de-oligarchisation and anti-corruption; underlines the Georgian people’s legitimate European aspirations and accordingly stresses the importance of EU support for the country, with a focus on civil society actors working towards Georgia’s integration into the EU; points to the potential stabilising role that Georgia can play in the South Caucasus;

Added67. Calls for the EU institutions and the Member States to take decisive steps to ensure that Russia fulfils its obligations under the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement, in particular to withdraw all its military and security forces from Georgia’s occupied territories, to allow the deployment of international security mechanisms on the ground and to grant the EU Monitoring Mission unimpeded access to the Russia-occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia; encourages the EU institutions and the Member States to further strengthen the EU Monitoring Mission’s capacities and further extend its mandate; further calls for the EU institutions and the Member States to use the term ‘occupation’ with regard to the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia that are illegally occupied by and under effective control of Russia, as established by the respective judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and the investigation of the International Criminal Court;

Added68. Believes that Ukraine’s and the Republic of Moldova’s accession to the EU would be a geostrategic investment in a united and strong Europe; welcomes the support package and the launch of the civilian EU Partnership Mission in the Republic of Moldova; commends the progress already achieved on reforms and urges the Commission to present an ambitious roadmap for accession negotiations to start as soon as possible, as well as for Ukraine’s and Moldova’s gradual integration into EU policies and programmes; underlines the complexity and merit-based nature of the enlargement process, which requires steps to be taken steadily and in a timely manner; further insists that a continuous effort must be made to adjust existing accession tools and build the legal basis for the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance III;

Added69. Reiterates the need to re-think the Eastern Partnership multilateral policy to restore regional engagement and the regional democratic reform agenda, including through the EuroNest Parliamentary Assembly;

Added70. Condemns, in the strongest terms, the pre-planned and unjustified attack by Azerbaijan against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh and the people who have remained in the region; calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to allow the safe return of the Armenian population to Nagorno-Karabakh and to offer solid guarantees regarding the protection of their rights; demands the protection of the Armenian cultural, historical and religious heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh in line with UNESCO standards and Azerbaijan’s international commitments; deplores the fact that Baku’s offensive represented a gross violation of international law and human rights and a clear infringement of the trilateral ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020 and of the commitments that Azerbaijan made in the negotiations mediated by the EU; believes that genuine dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia is the only sustainable way forward and calls for the EU and its Member States to support such efforts; supports the ongoing peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which have been seriously hampered by the recent military operation against Nagorno-Karabakh and the de facto ethnic cleansing; highlights that a dignified and durable regional peace that maintains sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity for both countries is a prerequisite for stability in the neighbourhood;

Added71. Calls on the EU civilian mission in Armenia (EUMA) to closely monitor the evolving security situation on the ground, provide transparent reporting to Parliament and actively contribute to conflict resolution efforts; calls for the EU and its Member States to strengthen EUMA’s mandate, increase its size, extend its duration and also place monitors along the border with Türkiye; calls on Azerbaijan to allow EUMA’s presence on its side of the border and in Nagorno-Karabakh;

Added72. Calls on the VP/HR and the EEAS to further support Armenia via the European Peace Facility, in particular with a view to strengthening its defence capabilities against hybrid threats in order to enlarge its security space beyond the Collective Security Treaty Organization; welcomes the establishment of the EU-Armenia Political and Security Dialogue and its first meeting on 26 January 2023;

Added73. Stresses that Parliament’s multiple warnings about the situation have not led to any change in the EU’s policy regarding Azerbaijan; insists that any deepening of EU relations with Azerbaijan must remain conditional on the country making substantial progress on respect for human rights, the rule of law, democracy and fundamental freedoms, including the protection of ethnic minorities; further calls on the EU to immediately impose sanctions on Azerbaijan and to suspend the Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic Partnership in the Field of Energy;

Added74. Reiterates its support for the democratically elected government of Armenia and its full respect of the country’s sovereignty, democracy and territorial integrity; praises Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s declaration that Armenia will not be dragged into a new war with Azerbaijan and his recent calls for the resumption of peace talks at the highest level with Azerbaijan; condemns Russian’s interference in Armenia, which are aimed at spreading unrest; calls for the EU to strengthen its engagement in the South Caucasus; welcomes Armenia’s decision to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court;

Added75. Remains concerned by the fact that Türkiye’s Government has not reversed the negative trend of deterioration of democracy, the rule of law, fundamental rights and the independence of the judiciary, that Türkiye’s foreign policy continues to be at odds with EU priorities under the CFSP and that Türkiye has not aligned with EU sanctions against Russia;

Added76. Stresses that in the absence of a drastic change of course by the Turkish Government, Türkiye’s EU accession process cannot be resumed; calls for the EU and the Turkish Government to move forward towards a closer, more dynamic and strategic partnership, considering the key role played by Türkiye in the region and its significance as a NATO ally; recommends starting a reflection process to find a parallel and realistic framework for EU-Türkiye relations that encompasses the interests of all parties involved, which would anchor Türkiye to the EU instead of pushing it towards Russia or Iran;

Added77. Welcomes the partial de-escalation of tensions in the East Mediterranean and Aegean and calls on Türkiye to work on a constructive, and not assertive or aggressive, approach with its partners in these regions; calls on the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye to swiftly ratify Sweden’s application to join NATO and urges the Turkish national authorities to cooperate closely with the EU’s Sanctions Envoy;

Added78. Condemns the launch of illegal construction work by the Turkish Cypriot side within the buffer zone near the bi-communal village of Pyla/Pile in Cyprus, as well as the assaults against UN peacekeepers and damage to UN vehicles on 18 August 2023; calls for the status of the buffer zone and the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus to be respected; recalls that threats to the safety of UN peacekeepers and damage to UN property constitute crimes under international law; urges Türkiye and the Turkish Cypriot leadership to cease and reverse all such unilateral activities and avoid any further actions and provocations that are not conducive to the resumption of the UN-led negotiations; welcomes the understanding reached by the sides to find a way forward on the Pyla/Pile road in Cyprus and to stabilise the situation and calls for engagement in peaceful negotiations and a real process of dialogue;

Added79. Deplores the fact that, more than 25 years after the start of the Barcelona Process, the creation of a shared area of prosperity, stability and freedom with the Mediterranean countries of the Southern Neighbourhood has not been achieved; encourages the VP/HR and the Commission to strengthen the southern dimension of the EU’s neighbourhood, including through increased dialogue and strengthened conditionality tied to the disbursement of funds, and to secure adequate resources for the timely and effective implementation of the new agenda for the Mediterranean, stresses the important role played by the countries of the Southern Neighbourhood in the management of migration in a manner based on the principles of solidarity, balance and the sharing of responsibility between countries; stresses the importance of practical agreements with these countries in order to mitigate the consequences of irregular migration, human trafficking and smuggling of illicit weapons and cultural goods; points out that many countries in the Southern Neighbourhood are rich in energy resources and can contribute more to the diversification of energy supply in European countries;

Added80. Takes note of the political agreement on a comprehensive partnership package with Tunisia; recalls that this memorandum of understanding comes with conditions and urges the Commission to ensure compliance with these; regrets, however, the fact that the memorandum of understanding failed to include the human rights obligations expected by the EU in its agreements with third countries; believes, furthermore, that EU-Tunisia relations should be based on the framework of the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement and on respect for democracy, human rights and rule of law, with full parliamentary oversight regarding the implementation of the Association Agreement and the disbursement of EU funds to Tunisia; firmly believes that the transfer of EU funds should be conditional on Tunisia’s compliance with human rights standards and include conditionality and accountability provisions; calls on the Commission to present a mechanism to ensure compliance in this regard, exploring all relevant options;

Added81. Is highly concerned about the authoritarian drift by the Tunisian leadership, the detention of opposition and civil society figures and the persecution of refugees and asylum seekers, and urges the Tunisian authorities to respect international humanitarian rights law and migrants’ rights; condemns, furthermore, the decision of the Tunisian authorities to refuse entry to the delegation from Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and urges the Tunisian authorities to allow open political dialogue;

Added82. Highlights the necessity of engaging more strategically with the Gulf countries, particularly on the promotion of regional security cooperation, climate action, human rights and the fight against corruption; welcomes the resumption of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran; welcomes, furthermore, the proposed establishment of a structured security dialogue between the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council; recalls, in this regard, the need for full transparency and accountability in the strategic partnership between the EU and the Gulf countries; calls for the EU and the Member States to continue to emphasise respect for human rights and gender equality and the gradual alignment of values, in particular when responding to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its consequences;

Added83. Underlines that the CFSP aims to develop and consolidate democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and that these goals are not shared by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; takes note of the fact that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues to engage with the EU in the framework of a regular dialogue on human rights; condemns, however, the country’s persistent violation of human rights, in particular the application of death sentences and executions and the restrictions on civil and political rights, as well as free speech, and calls for the death penalty to be abolished;

Added84. Denounces the brutal crackdown by Iranian police and security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), on demonstrations following the killing of Jina Mahsa Amini and many others tortured and killed who opposed the regime; calls for additional restrictive measures against the IRGC, its subsidiary forces and all those responsible for the human rights violations against peaceful protests, including the highest-ranking officials; calls on the Council to designate the IRGC and its subsidiary forces, including Iran’s Morality Police, the paramilitary Basij militia and the Quds Force, as a terrorist entity;

Added85. Reiterates its support for the peaceful opposition movement across Iran, which protests against the systemic and increasing oppression of women and the severe violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms; condemns the Iranian regime for its campaign of harassment, surveillance, kidnappings and death threats against Iranian activists and for its systematic discrimination against women through laws and regulations that severely restrict their freedoms; calls for the establishment of an international investigative and accountability mechanism for human rights violations perpetrated by the Iranian Government;

Added86. Condemns the Iranian regime for its provision of military equipment to Russia in the latter’s brutal and illegal aggression against Ukraine; stresses that the Islamic Republic is contributing to war crimes in Ukraine, as the equipment is being used to target civilians and civilian infrastructure, and calls for a robust EU response to Iran’s involvement in Russia’s war; condemns Iran’s sponsoring of designated terror groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad; expresses concern about the destabilising effect of such activities on the Middle East and the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace; stresses the need to address and counter Iran’s wider malign and destabilising activities across the Middle East and beyond; strongly opposes Iran’s hostage diplomacy and demands that all European nationals being detained in Iran be freed and allowed to leave the country; calls on the regime in Teheran to cease its intimidation and repression campaign against Iranian diaspora groups in the EU and worldwide; calls on the Member States’ governments to be aware of the specific transnational repression tactics employed by Iran;

Added87. Expresses grave concern over the Islamic Republic’s continued enrichment of uranium up to 60 % purity and its repeated violations of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA); encourages the resumption of negotiations on the JCPOA Treaty;

Added88. Condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the despicable terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel and expresses its support to the State of Israel and its people; recognises Israel’s right to self-defence, as enshrined in and constrained by international law, and that as such the actions of Israel must strictly comply with international humanitarian law; is very concerned about the extremely deteriorated humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and calls for humanitarian pauses so that aid can be provided to civilians in the Gaza Strip; urges the international community to continue and increase its humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in the area and reiterates that EU humanitarian aid must continue being delivered to them; urges Egypt and Israel to cooperate with the international community to establish humanitarian corridors to the Gaza Strip; regrets the fact that the Palestinian Authority has not held elections since 2005, which hampers its credibility, and expects elections to be held soon;

Added89. Reiterates its unwavering support for a negotiated two-state solution for Israel and Palestine on the basis of the 1967 borders, with two sovereign, democratic states as peaceful neighbours and with Jerusalem as their shared capital; encourages the EEAS and the Member States to take a European initiative to put the two-state solution back on track; recalls that settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law; call for an immediate end to the settlement policy, which is a major impediment to the viability of the two-state solution; emphasises that continued support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East remains a key element of the EU strategy for contributing to stability and peace in the Middle East;

Added90. Recognises that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine presents both challenges and opportunities for the states in Central Asia , which have traditionally maintained close relations with Russia; is concerned about Russian and Chinese pressure exerted in the region and stresses the need to scale up the EU’s presence in Central Asia in response; underlines the EU’s interest in increasing economic relations and intensifying political ties with the countries of Central Asia, in part to address the circumvention of sanctions against Russia and Belarus; calls on the national authorities of these countries, particularly those of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, to cooperate closely with the EU, in particular its Sanctions Envoy, and also recalls, in this regard, the relevance of closer working relations with the OSCE;

Added91. Encourages the Commission and the Member States to continue promoting political and economic reforms that strengthen the rule of law, democracy, good governance and respect for human rights and to encourage good neighbourly relations; reiterates that all countries of the Central Asia region must commit to upholding the UN Charter, particularly the principles of respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries;

Added92. Welcomes the outcomes of the second EU-Central Asia Economic Forum in Almaty in May 2023 and the second meeting between the President of the European Council and the Heads of State of all five Central Asian countries in June 2023; urges the Commission and the Member States to sign the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) with Kyrgyzstan, finalise preparatory work towards signing the EPCA with Uzbekistan and rapidly progress in the ongoing negotiations for an EPCA with Tajikistan;

Added93. Recalls that the countries of Central Asia are major suppliers of raw materials and energy; takes the view that the EU has a strong interest in reinvigorating the Middle Corridor not only as a regional economic zone, but also as an alternative to the New Eurasian Land Bridge, which passes though sanctioned Russian and Belarusian territory; stresses the significance of promoting regional integration along the Middle Corridor, also in order to attract financing for infrastructure projects under the Global Gateway;

Added94. Reiterates its non-recognition of the de facto Afghan Government; is concerned by the dire economic and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, as well as by the violation of the rights of women and girls in the country; denounces the drastic reduction in the capacity of the World Food Programme to provide food aid to the Afghan population and calls on the Commission and the Member States to make sure that critical humanitarian aid is provided to the Afghan population and ensure supplementary funding for emergency aid; calls on the VP/HR to raise the idea of prosecuting Taliban leaders at the ICC for their crimes against women and girls;

Added95. Supports the five key benchmarks that were adopted by the Council on 21 September 2021 and serve as guiding principles for future engagement with the Taliban, but believes that a major effort in defining a long-term strategy is needed to address the human rights emergency and gender apartheid occurring in Afghanistan today; stresses that the EU evacuation programme for people in Afghanistan who worked for European missions, were counting on European protection and are still in imminent danger cannot be ended as long as people fulfilling the criteria remain in the country;

Added96. Deplores the Russian Federation’s veto, in the UN Security Council meeting of 11 July 2023, with regard to the renewal of UN Security Council Resolution 2672(2023) regarding the cross-border delivery of humanitarian assistance to people in north-western Syria via Bab al-Hawa, putting at risk more than four million people who depend on humanitarian aid to meet their basic needs for food, medicine and other vital supplies; takes note of Syria’s reintegration into the Arab League; considers that a normalisation with the current Syrian regime cannot take place and stresses that the Syrian political process is deadlocked;

Added97. Reiterates that a peaceful, free, connected, open, stable and rules-based Indo-Pacific is a vital European interest; is concerned that great power competition is imposing parameters on the EU’s ability to promote multilateralism in the region; points out, in this context, that the Asia-Europe Meeting is still hamstrung because of the geopolitical tensions with Russia; acknowledges the VP/HR’s efforts to engage with the region, as evidenced by the co-organisation and co-chairing with the Swedish Presidency of the EU-Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum on 13 May 2023 and the VP/HR’s participation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum on 14 July 2023; calls for the EU to actively support the Ministerial Forum on Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific as an annual event;

Added98. Encourages closer political ties with like-minded partners, in line with the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, particularly with Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and the ASEAN member states, including on maritime security, non-proliferation and resilience to hybrid threats; welcomes EEAS efforts in capacity building in the Indo-Pacific region that aim to create resilience against foreign information manipulation and interference; highlights the need to enhance people-to-people relations with our partners, in particular youth exchanges and civic and think tank cooperation; underlines that preserving peace, stability and the freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region remains of critical importance to the interests of the EU and its Member States;

Added99. Calls on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to abandon its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner; deplores, in the strongest possible terms, the ongoing crimes against humanity and urges the country’s authorities to undertake a process of reform whereby all human rights are respected and protected; stresses the urgent need for the EU and the international community to prevent military cooperation and arms exchanges between Russia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea;

Added100. Notes that geopolitical challenges have strengthened the shared interest of the EU and India in ensuring security, prosperity and sustainable development; welcomes the creation of the EU-India Trade and Technology Council; calls for an India-EU summit to keep bilateral relations high on the agenda; highlights the importance of a successful conclusion of the negotiations on an EU-India free trade agreement, taking into account sensitivities on both sides; expresses the hope that India will align its position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with that of the transatlantic community and calls on the Council and the VP/HR to make diplomatic efforts in this regard;

Added101. Expresses deep concern about the latest shifts in China’s domestic and military posture since the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party; considers that the growing assertiveness of China, in part through a policy of economic coercion, remains one of the primary geopolitical challenges of the 21st century; holds the view that China demonstrates that it has both the intent and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to tilt the international rules-based order; insists that this requires a multi-dimensional response through which the EU maintains its selective engagement with China on a number of key issues while de-risking its relationship by increasingly reducing economic dependence in critical sectors, in line with the EU’s economic security strategy; notes that substantive engagement with China is increasingly difficult due to the more prominent competition and systemic rivalry dimensions; stresses that China remains important in many policy areas, including climate change; warns that the continued growth of the Sino-Russian strategic partnership, including in the areas of technology and military capability transfers, may increase China’s ability to coerce the EU’s partners in Asia and around the world; reiterates its call for a more assertive EU-China strategy that shapes relations with China in the interest of the EU and takes full account of the challenges stemming from China’s rise as a global actor;

Added102. Condemns acts of hybrid warfare, such as cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and the surveillance or espionage of Chinese citizens within the EU; urges China to put an immediate end to these malign acts and to its information manipulation and electoral interference and calls on the Commission and the Member States to implement, as a matter of urgency, initiatives related to foreign interference in all democratic processes in the EU, including disinformation, as suggested by Parliament; condemns the sanctions against Members of the European Parliament (and other EU entities) and national parliaments and calls for their immediate and unconditional lifting;

Added103. Condemns the Chinese government-led system of forced labour and its violations of human rights, which the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has said may constitute crimes against humanity including high risk of genocide in Xinjiang and crimes against humanity in Tibet and Inner Mongolia, as well as the oppressive policies against other ethnic minorities; recalls that the EU’s ‘One China policy’ remains a cornerstone of EU-China relations; reaffirms the EU’s commitment to the ‘one country, two systems’ principle and condemns any possible violations of it; reiterates its condemnation of the Chinese Communist Party’s undermining of democracy in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, including mass surveillance, the continued deterioration of fundamental human rights and the imposition of the National Security Law in Hong Kong; calls on the Commission to assess the autonomous status of Hong Kong in light of China’s breaches of the Sino-British and Sino-Portuguese Joint Declarations and the crackdown on Hong Kong’s autonomy;

Added104. Stresses the need to ensure a unified European approach when China uses its economic leverage to silence opposition to its human rights abuses; urges China to investigate and prevent any violations of human rights and international law; recalls that China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has a special responsibility with respect to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; is concerned about the situation of Christians and other religious minorities, including their freedom of worship in China, as they face ongoing persecution;

Added105. Condemns the growing trend of transnational repression by China and calls on those EU Member States that have not yet done so to suspend their extradition treaties with China and Hong Kong and to close all remaining illegal Chinese ‘police stations’ on their territories; calls on the EEAS to closely monitor the trials of political prisoners in Hong Kong and to call for the release of such political prisoners, including the founder of Apple Daily, Jimmy Lai;

Added106. Takes note of the latest BRICS summit that took place in Johannesburg in August 2023 and of China’s geopolitical objectives with regard to BRICS; highlights the need for the EU and its Member States to increase dialogue and cooperation with some members of BRICS+ to counter China’s rising global influence;

Added107. Urges the EU and China to intensify dialogue and close cooperation in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and, more generally, with regard to the sustainable use of marine biological resources and ocean governance; calls for the EU to strengthen cooperation with the UK, the US, Japan and other key actors in ocean and fisheries policy, using its diplomatic tools to encourage China to make progress on the necessary reforms of its fisheries governance framework;

Added108. Strongly condemns China’s continued military provocations against Taiwan and reiterates its firm rejection of any unilateral change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait; highlights that China’s territorial claims have no basis in international law; denounces, furthermore, China’s blocking of Taiwan’s participation in multilateral organisations; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in relevant international organisations such as the WHO, the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; reiterates that Taiwan is a key EU partner and a democratic ally in the Indo-Pacific region; recognises the importance of Taiwan in securing global supply chains, especially in the high-tech sector, and urges the EU and its Member States to engage in closer cooperation with Taiwan; welcomes the visits to Taiwan, since 2021, by consecutive official delegations from Parliament committees and calls on the Commission to launch, without delay, preparatory measures for negotiations on a bilateral investment agreement with Taiwan;

Added109. Denounces statements by the Chinese President that China will never renounce the right to use force with respect to Taiwan; notes that neither Taiwan nor China is subordinate to the other; expresses grave concern over China’s use of hostile disinformation to undermine trust in Taiwan’s democracy and governance; calls for the EU and its Member States to cooperate with international partners in helping to sustain democracy in Taiwan, keeping it free from foreign interference and threats, and underlines that only Taiwan’s democratically elected government can represent the Taiwanese people on the international stage; notes the need to also focus on preventive diplomacy to avoid any escalation in the Taiwan Strait;

Added110. Notes that China has focused on strengthening its influence in the Indo-Pacific through increased aid, development, diplomacy and security cooperation over the last decade; highlights that resources need to be pooled to effectively enhance the EU’s political footprint and assert the EU as a reliable and strategic partner in the Pacific; encourages the Member States to join forces and engage at ministerial level with Pacific island countries and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States; stresses that a serious follow-up to COP27 is a key concern for the countries in the region and therefore urges the EEAS to promote global support for a sustainable green transition and to step up its climate diplomacy to consolidate cooperation on climate change adaptation and mitigation measures;

Added111. Underlines that ASEAN is a crucial ally in reinforcing rules-based multilateralism; calls for close cooperation in line with the EU-ASEAN joint leaders’ statement of 14 December 2022 in order to shape regional dynamics beyond the binary constraints of Chinese-American competition; further stresses, in this context, the importance of preserving freedom of navigation in the South and East China Seas; recalls the need to fully implement the EU-ASEAN Plan of Action 2023-2027;

Added112. Welcomes the signature of the Post-Cotonou Agreement and its regional protocols, which will allow for an unprecedented regional focus on African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, and calls for swift ratification by both the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the EU; urges the Commission and the VP/HR to ensure that the EU-African Union summit of February 2022 is followed up on in order to deepen cooperation on initiatives of shared interest and to meet the needs of partner countries in Africa; emphasises that the EU should pursue geographical priorities on a bilateral level, focusing on key African partners, but also on a regional level, focusing on the implementation of regional strategies for the Sahel and coastal countries, the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa; welcomes, in this context, Operation Atalanta, which, as the first EU naval operation with the dedicated objective of protecting UN World Food Programme vessels, has become a successful counter-piracy operation; encourages the Council and the Member States to consider extending the geographical scope of Operation Atalanta;

Added113. Attaches particular importance to strengthening security collaboration with countries of the Gulf of Guinea, supporting their integration and intra-regional solidarity; expresses grave concern about the deterioration of stability in the Sahel, exacerbated by the military coup in Niger and the dissolution of democratic institutions; does not and will not recognise the authorities resulting from the coup in Niger; reiterates its very clear call for the full restoration, without delay, of the constitutional order and fully associates itself with the declarations of the Economic Community of West African States and its African and international partners in this regard;

Added114. Denounces Russia’s interference in Africa, in particular via the increased footprint of the Wagner Group on the continent, and strongly condemns the abuse and crimes committed; recalls that stability in the Sahel has direct repercussions for the security and stability of European external borders in the Mediterranean; calls for the EU to increase resources and enhance cooperation with our partners to combat human trafficking through the Mediterranean and Belarus and dismantle the criminal networks used for human trafficking; takes the view that EU policy with regard to the Sahel has not produced the expected results and takes note of the VP/HR’s announcement about revising the EU’s strategy with regard to the Sahel;

Added115. Stresses the need to adapt the current approach in order to retain influence and calls for EU engagement and support to the region to be strengthened; welcomes the Commission’s preparation of a ‘new strategic approach’ to the partnership with Africa, taking into account the new geopolitical situation, and urges the Commission and the Council to develop a mutually beneficial partnership that focuses on common issues for Europe and Africa; welcomes the Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package of EUR 150 billion, aimed at supporting African partners in the development of a strong, inclusive, green and digital recovery and transformation; considers that efforts to fight disinformation and better demonstrate the EU’s support to Africa have to be urgently increased and improved;

Added116. Stresses that access to safe drinking water is one of the major challenges of the 21st century, especially since nearly 60 % of aquifer resources cross political territorial borders; highlights that water scarcity can lead to the most serious conflicts if the use of flows in an integrated and shared manner is not envisaged; highlights the need for the EU to adopt a strategy to facilitate technological and geopolitical solutions in areas affected by water scarcity, which has highly destabilising potential; encourages countries situated in the main areas of water-related conflict to sign the 1992 Helsinki Water Convention on the protection and use of cross-border waterways and international lakes;

Added117. Notes that the EU should take a particular interest in reinvigorating its partnership with countries of Latin America and the Caribbean; notes that the EU’s engagement in the region has dwindled in recent decades, which has created a vacuum for foreign malign actors; urges countries across Latin America to adopt a firmer attitude of condemnation of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine; is concerned about the increase in organised crime and drug trafficking in Latin America, which also has an impact on the EU; calls for a substantial increase in bi-regional cooperation to combat this phenomenon;

Added118. Takes note of the summit on 17 and 18 July 2023 between the EU and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and hopes that it will improve bi-regional relations, particularly given the growing influence of China and Russia in Latin America and the Caribbean; calls on the Member States and the EEAS to pursue proactive diplomacy in the region, with a strong emphasis on defending the multilateral global order, international law and respect for democracy and human rights; welcomes the conclusion of negotiations on the EU-Chile Advanced Framework Agreement and calls for progress to be made towards the signing and ratification of the EU-Mexico Association Agreement; calls on the Commission and the Spanish and Belgian Council Presidencies to advance decisively and conclude the agreement with Mercosur before the end of the current parliamentary term, while keeping the highest level of ambition in relation to the enforcement of its sustainability provisions; also recalls the need to finalise the ratification of the EU-Central America Association Agreement;

Added119. Stresses the importance of fostering even stronger relations with Norway, the EU’s most closely associated partner through the Agreement on the European Economic Area, making progress in negotiations for a new agreement with Switzerland and advancing negotiations on association agreements with Andorra and San Marino; takes note of the suspension of negotiations on an association agreement with Monaco;

Added120. Calls for stronger EU engagement in the Arctic, as it is of key geostrategic importance for the EU in view of the consequences of climate change, industrial and economic competition, security threats, inter alia caused by Russian military expansion in the High North, and the freedom and safety of navigation; notes that NATO has underlined the significance of the High North, in particular due to the expansion of possible maritime routes, access to natural resources, climate conservation and territorial claims, which all may lead to increased geopolitical tensions; highlights that the EU’s engagement in the region must involve cooperation with local partners, including indigenous people;

Added121. Calls for stronger support for the EU maritime security strategy, as freedom of navigation presents a growing challenge; insists that freedom of navigation must be respected at all times, with priority given to de-escalation and the prevention of armed conflicts and military incidents;

Added122. Highlights that the southern polar region should be considered an emerging area of interest given shifting geopolitical dynamics; underlines the importance of multilateral cooperation in the management of marine protected areas; encourages the EU to develop a purposeful European polar agenda that seeks to integrate its regional ambitions into its CFSP and which brings together the Member States’ considerable interests in science, ocean conservation, fisheries, regional peace and rules-based multilateralism; calls for an enhanced EU-China-Antarctic dialogue;

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123. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the European Council, the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.