African, Caribbean and Pacific countries must take a clearer stance on Russia’s war against Ukraine

“African, Caribbean and Pacific countries must take a clearer stance against Russia’s war in Ukraine”, said Michael Gahler MEP, following the end of the 41st plenary session of the EU-ACP Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

The Assembly, which deliberated from Friday to Sunday in Strasbourg, gathered Members of the European Parliament and delegates from African, Caribbean and Pacific states. Yet, despite vivid negotiations, the Assembly failed to agree on a common statement by the Co-Presidents of the Assembly. Also, a joint Resolution pointing at the security threats in the Sahel region and West Africa failed to be adopted, as the ACP side did not commit to working on a joint text.

“We regret that this Assembly did not live up to its political potential. A possible clear positioning on the situation in the Sahel was prevented by those African representatives that are part of the problem. Moreover, on the Russian war against Ukraine, it was also impossible to find a common appropriate language”, deplored Gahler, who is the EPP Group's Spokesman on Foreign Affairs and who participated in the negotiations.

While the oral debate on Russia’s war against Ukraine showed a variety of opinions on the ACP side, only one ACP delegate, Louis H Straker from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, took the floor at the end of the meeting to clearly denounce both the Russian aggression and the silence of the EU-ACP Joint Parliamentary Assembly on this issue, as a common strong and clear declaration could not be reached. “Sir Straker must be thanked for naming the Russian war for what it is, ‘a naked aggression’”, Michael Gahler concluded.