the European Union has to become a force for peace and reconciliation 

We support the great work done by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, not least in leading the negotiations to preserve the nuclear deal with Iran. We believe that the war in Syria can be ended through meaningful political talks between all parties, with particular attention to the Kurdish community for their fight against Daesh, and through a negotiated solution in the framework of the Geneva talks led by the United Nations.

We are worried about the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, particularly the absence of dialogue between Israel and Palestine and the recent increase in violence. We continue to support a twostate solution, with a viable Palestinian state and a safe and secure Israel, with Jerusalem as capital of both, in accordance with the UN resolutions. The time has come for an unified European initiative in order to create the conditions for a balanced resuming of negotiations between Israel and Palestine.

We are concerned about the deterioration of democracy, human rights and freedom of expression in Turkey. We consider that the next elections cannot be free and fair while our member’s parties, HDP and CHP, have their leaders or parliamentarians arbitrarily detained in prison. Hereby we resume our call for their immediate release. We also worry about the deterioration of the freedom of speech and we should therefore also keep raising awareness for the imprisoned journalists in Turkey.

As Socialists and Democrats, we are convinced that the Western Balkans are Europe and will be part of the European Union’s future. We welcome the European Commission’s new strategy for enlargement to the Western Balkans, provided that they meet all the strict conditions. Alongside this, we think that enlargement is an opportunity for the European Union and the Western Balkans, an opportunity to improve the stability, security and prosperity of our continent. It is also clear that the process must be merit-based and requires clear political commitment. We are pleased by the European Commission’s positive assessment of the progress made by the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania, both led by members of our family, and the recommendation to open accession negotiations. We appreciate and support the effort and commitment deployed by the new government in Skopje towards reaching a deal with their Greek counterparts on the name change. We also welcome the fact that Montenegro and Albania are aligning their positions with European Union foreign and security policy. 

We also believe that the Eastern Partnership is still well alive although a lot still remains to be done. The focus should now be on implementing existing commitments and delivering tangible results for the citizens in the partner countries. We emphasize the need for reforms in the Eastern Partnership countries in order to strengthen civil society and promote European fundamental values such as democracy, the rule of law and human rights. Regardless of the intensity of each co-operation, every partner is of the same value to the EU. At the same time, we reiterate that the Eastern Partnership is not directed against anyone.

We stress the importance of the strategic cooperation with Latin America on common global challenges, particularly on multilateralism, fight against climate change, sustainable development, social justice and tackling inequalities. We are also concerned by the political situation in some countries in the region. We support our sister parties in their fight for our shared progressive values.