LI President of Honour Van Baalen MEP addresses LIBSEEN leaders meeting - Main contents
LI President of Honour Hans Van Baalen MEP has addressed the annual LIBSEEN Leaders meeting, calling for an improved European security strategy and containment of Russian aggression towards the European Union's Eastern Neighbourhood.
Van Baalen, who is also President of the ALDE Party (LI cooperating organisation), expressed strong determination on behalf of LIBSEEN for continued support towards democracy and rule of law in the region, saying: "We are a European liberal group here and our major objective is to resolve issues through liberal routes, based on democratic values and principles. We need to stay committed and demonstrate that freedom is the most powerful identity of European Union, and it is extremely important to stop Russian expansion policy."
Member of LI Human Rights Committee and Vice-President on the ALDE Party Bureau Ilhan Kyuchyuk MEP (MRF, LI full-member) echoed the position of the LI President of Honour stressing the importance of continued European integration and cooperation for the resolution of key geopolitical challenges. "The new geopolitical realities and the turbulences in the region oblige us to deepen our cooperation, because only with common approach we can tackle these challenges. The relationship between Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia and the EU is often political as well as economic, but the security component cannot be underestimated. By deepening the European integration, this part of Europe will be more stable and prosperous. I am absolutely convinced that the association agenda, if duly implemented, will open up new opportunities and ALDE party will continue to work to see these three countries part of the European Union" he stated.
The meeting featured a Liberal Leaders panel discussing the challenges of European security strategy after Russia’s annexation of Crimea and possible trajectories of EU-Russia relations, which saw the participation of LIBSEEN Network coordinator Goran Neralić, the leader of the Liberal Party of Moldova and candidate for President of Moldova Mihai Ghimpu, the President of the Civic Position and former Ukrainian Minister of Defence Anatoly Grytsenko and the Mayor of Chisinau and Senior Vice President of the Liberal Party Dorin Chirtoaca.
The meeting was organised in cooperation with Partidul Liberal of Moldova (ALDE Party member) and with the support of the ALDE Party, VVD (LI full-member) and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (LI cooperating organisation).