View source for Community of Democratic Choice

{{Short description|European intergovernmental organization}}
{{Infobox Organization
| name            = Community of Democratic Choice
| type            = Political cooperation organization
| formation       = 2005
| logo            = File:Community_of_Democratic_Choice_logo.jpg
| location        = [[Europe]]
| membership      = 18
}}

[[File:Revised Map of the Community of Democratic Reform.png|right|thumb|Members of the Community of Democratic Choice]]

The '''Community of Democratic Choice''' is an [[intergovernmental organization]] established on 2 December 2005, by nine states of Northern, Central and [[Eastern Europe]] in [[Kyiv]], Ukraine. It was mainly signed by countries from the region between the [[Baltic Sea|Baltic]], [[Black Sea]] and [[Caspian Sea]] ("The three Seas"). Its main task is to promote [[democracy]], [[human rights]], and the [[rule of law]] throughout the region.

== Membership ==
*Founding member states:
**{{flag|Estonia}}
**{{flag|Georgia}}
**{{flag|Lithuania}}
**{{flag|Latvia}}
**{{flag|Moldova}}
**{{flag|North Macedonia}}
**{{flag|Romania}}
**{{flag|Slovenia}}
**{{flag|Ukraine}}
*Observer countries/organizations:
**{{flag|Armenia}}
**{{flag|Azerbaijan}}
**{{flag|Bulgaria}}
**{{flag|Czech Republic}}
**{{flag|Hungary}}
**{{flag|Poland}}
**{{flag|United States}}
**{{flag|European Union}}
**[[File:Flag of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.svg|25px]] [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (OSCE)

== History ==
[[Image:CDC members.png|right|thumb|upright=1.25|Community of Democratic Choice (CDC) {{legend|#ff7f40|members}} {{legend|#00ff00|observers}}]]

The creation of the Community of Democratic Choice was foreshadowed by the [[Borjomi Declaration]] of August 2005, a joint statement signed by the Presidents of Georgia and Ukraine, [[Mikheil Saakashvili]] and [[Viktor Yushchenko]], which envisioned the Community as a "powerful instrument for removing the remaining divisions in the region, tackling human rights violations, and any type of confrontation, or frozen conflicts".<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/12/045ad9d6-04ea-41ac-9c8e-6501191f1cd8.html Ukraine: Regional Leaders Set Up Community Of Democratic Choice - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

The Community of Democratic Choice was subsequently established in Kyiv during a two-day forum aimed at promoting democracy and human rights in the wider region of the [[Baltic Sea|Baltic]]-[[Black Sea|Black]]-[[Caspian Sea|Caspian]] Seas. Besides the presidents of the nine founding states, there were delegations from [[Armenia]], [[Azerbaijan]], [[Bulgaria]], the [[Czech Republic]], [[Hungary]], and [[Poland]], as well as observers from the [[United States]], the [[European Union]] and the [[Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe]].

== Purpose ==
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister [[Borys Tarasyuk]], said that the community is not a project against anybody, but rather a project in favor of democracy, stability and prosperity.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abhaber.com/news_page.asp?id=2332 |title=..:: ABHABER.COM ::.. Ukraine suggests nuclear cooperation to Turkey |accessdate=2006-03-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927152415/http://www.abhaber.com/news_page.asp?id=2332 |archivedate=2007-09-27 }}</ref> Likewise, President Viktor Yushchenko said that the initiative was not directed against any third countries or institutions and that its purpose was not "to befriend anyone against someone else", but that it must rather be seen as "dialogue between friends, adherents of ideas for promoting democracy and the supremacy of law".

On the other hand, [[Giorgi Arveladze]], presidential administration head of Georgia, said that the community would in essence be "an axis of democratic countries that do not wish to remain in [[Russia]]'s orbit".

[[Temuri Yakobashvili]], the vice-president of the [[Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies]] said that he saw the Community of Democratic Choice as something in between the two main "poles of attraction" in the region (the EU and the [[Shanghai Cooperation Organisation]]), saying that "the idea of creating a Community of Democratic Choice may appeal to those countries that are caught between those two blocs, but lean toward democracy and [[Western world|the West]]."<ref>[http://www.rferl.org/features/features_Article.aspx?m=12&y=2005&id=5E1861CC-16F9-4783-A0F7-E9CD1012E461 East: Leaders Meet In Ukraine To Create New Regional Alliance - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

Besides the question of its character, the membership of the community is still not clear. At the Vilnius Conference in 2006, the two founding members Macedonia and Slovenia did not take part with representatives but one of the hosts was Poland. Further the Prime Minister of [[Sweden]], [[Göran Persson]] stated his country's intention to join the organization that was welcomed by Saakashvilli, saying that Sweden's entry would provide additional impetus to the CDC forum.<ref>[http://www.caucaz.com/home_eng/depeches.php?idp=896 Community of Democratic Choice fighting off an early frost? - Caucaz.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> So up till now there the question of membership in the CDC is not answered.

Nevertheless, the President of Moldova, [[Vladimir Voronin]], urged the Community to develop its own institutions, including its own parliamentary assembly, saying that it offered a possibility to integrate those countries that have chosen a European orientation.<ref name=autogenerated1 />
The Vilnius Conference already gave a hint to what that means by including an Intellectuals, an NGO and a Youth Forum.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.vilniusconference2006.lt/ |title=Vilniaus konferencija 2006<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2020-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402074556/http://www.vilniusconference2006.lt/ |archive-date=2019-04-02 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Meetings ==
* December 1–2, 2005: [[Kyiv]], Ukraine
* March 9–10, 2006: [[Tbilisi]], Georgia
* May, 2006: [[Vilnius]], Lithuania

== See also ==
{{Div col|small=yes}}
*[[Black Sea Forum for Partnership and Dialogue]]
*[[Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations]]
*[[Community of Democracies]]
*[[Community of Democratic Choice Youth Forum]]
*[[Eastern Partnership]]
*[[Euronest Parliamentary Assembly]]
*[[European Integration]]
*[[Eurasian Economic Union]]
*[[Eurosphere]]
*[[Eurovoc]]
*[[GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development]]
*[[Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation]]
*[[Politics of Europe]]
{{Div col end}}
{{portal bar|Europe|Politics}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Regional organizations}}
{{Europe topics (small)|state=collapsed}}
{{Soviet Union topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Community Of Democratic Choice}}
[[Category:Community of Democratic Choice| ]]
[[Category:2005 establishments in Europe]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 2005]]
[[Category:International organizations based in Europe]]
[[Category:European integration]]