The House of Lords International
Agreements Committee has published its report on the
One Hundred Year Partnership Agreement
between the UK and Northern Ireland and
Ukraine.
The Agreement puts in place a legally
binding framework for future cooperation between the UK and
Ukraine. It covers a broad range of areas, from defence and
maritime security to trade and investment. The Committee supports
the underlying rationale for the Agreement and the UK's support
for Ukraine. It heard that the Agreement could contribute to
Ukraine's ability to deter future aggression, but notes it lack
of substance and detail.
It calls on the Government to provide
Parliament with a clear and realistic roadmap as to how and when
the activities on defence cooperation and maritime security will
be undertaken in particular. The Committee emphasises that
any maritime and naval support should contribute to the overall
security of the region. Proceeding with the maritime security
partnership included in the Agreement should be undertaken
following appropriate risk assessments and should be swiftly
reviewed in the event of a peace settlement between Ukraine and
Russia.
In view of the potential benefits
outlined in the Agreement in terms of UK business access to the
Ukrainian market, the report also encourages the Government to
continue to work closely with its Ukrainian counterparts on
governance reforms and strengthening the rule of law. It suggests
that the Government consider structuring aid to Ukraine and
cooperation under this partnership so as to best promote and
strengthen the rule of law and support the development of good
governance principles, which can foster a closer economic and
investment relationship between the UK and
Ukraine.
The Government's commitment to
pursuing accountability for crimes committed during the conflict
in Ukraine through its support for the efforts of the Ukrainian
Prosecutor General and the ICC is welcomed. The Committee
recognises the challenges this will present and asks the
Government to keep Parliament informed of
progress.
The full report is available on the
Committee's website.
, Chair of the House of Lords
International Agreements Committee
said:
“This Agreement was laid before
Parliament in the context of a rapidly changing geopolitical
environment as regards Ukraine's future. The situation has
continued to develop and has moved substantially even in the
period between our taking evidence and the publication of this
report. This report focuses specifically on the Agreement, rather
than commenting on wider events, but we do suggest that the
Government formally reviews the arrangements in the event of a
peace settlement between Russia and
Ukraine.
“With this in mind, we would like to
note from the outset, that we welcome the Government's ongoing
support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,
its position on security guarantees and a US backstop, and its
commitment to future domestic defence spending. We believe that
these combine to create a necessary backdrop to this
Agreement.
“In this report, we focus on aspects
of the Agreement which we feel have some potential to deliver
benefits, or are potentially consequential for the UK. We stress
that in order for any such benefits to be realised, a clear and
realistic roadmap will have to be put in place to deliver on
these benefits. This roadmap is currently lacking. We also found
merit in the argument we heard from witnesses that the title is
rather meaningless, and risks distracting attention from the
substance of the Partnership.
“We report the UK-Ukraine One Hundred
Year Partnership Agreement to the House for special attention and
debate, in light of the heightened political interest in events
in Ukraine and the UK-Ukraine
relationship.”
