Top 3 #Hashtags and the Eastern Partnership

Eastern Partnership summit,  Foto: Paweł Supernak

#Hashtags dominates the social media universe. The Eastern Partnership topic has been dominated by #Hashtags long before the 3rd Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius (Lithuania) started and is dominated after the summit. Three #Hashtags highlight the issue: 1. #EasternPartnership; 2. #VilniusSummit and 3. #євромайдан #евромайдан #Euromaidan.

4 Top "Twitter Diplomats" Disappointed by Ukraine's Decision, But "Open Door" Policy

Foto @fabiolahrnndz/Twitter

Many European diplomats expressed their disappointment that Ukraine put the European integration on hold which could be seen as far from achieving the principles of democracy and the rule of law.

Pokerspiel um die Östliche Partnerschaft - Endspurt für Vilnius

Foto: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania

Nur noch wenige Tage verbleiben bis in der litauischen Hauptstadt Vilnius das dritte Gipfel der Östlichen Partnerschaft stattfindet. Die Erwartungen an die Europäische Union sind groß. Die Schlagzeilen in der Union und in den Partnerländern überschlagen sich mit Vermutungen, Drohungen und sogar Satire über die zukünftigen Beziehungen zwischen der Europäischen Union und den Partnerstaaten an der östlichen Grenze. Moldau, Georgien und die Ukraine gelten als die Favoriten für ein Assoziierungsabkommen mit der EU. Armenien hat bereits ein ähnliches Abkommen mit Russland unterschrieben. Aserbaidschan ist nicht wirklich daran interessiert. Und Belarus denkt nicht daran, denn Lukaschenkos Land gehört schon der Eurasischen Union, angeführt von Russland in der Person von Vladimir Putin. 

The Eastern Partnership and Its 14 "Buddies"

EaP Countries and supporters among the EU; EU21Global

Everyone needs friends. At times of important decisions - this applies even more. The eastern neighbours of the European Union have experienced that there are comparable difficulties on the way of European integration. However, there are some supporters among the EU member states. Various meetings at the national and regional level were hold for the purpose of demonstration of additional support for the Eastern partnership countries. The three Baltic countries Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, Poland, Sweden and Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, the Nordic countries Denmark, Finland and Sweden, as well as Bulgaria and Romania and even Great Britain increasingly showed their support to further develop the Eastern Partnership and manage the European integration of the Eastern neighbours of the European Union. Additionally they send a clear signal to the EaP countries that there were indeed serious obstacles in the path of reforms in order to get closer to the European Union.

Ukraine: "It's Now or Never" to decide on EU

EU High Representative on Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton communicated the willingness of Brussels to hold EU-Ukraine summit in early 2013. The European Commission announced on 20 December 2012 that an EU-Ukraine summit would be held on 25 February 2013. The timetable is set. Prior to the upcoming summit the warnings are clear and there some preconditions to be resolved before signing any document: former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and former Interior Minister of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko cases, choice between EU or Moscow's Customs Union. So it is up to Ukraine to do its best and perform with the guidelines of the European Union. The main message is: Reform yourself or forget about us!

Moldova - A "Last Minute Saviour" for the Eastern Partnership?

José Manuel Barroso, President of the EC visits Moldova,
Foto: Photographic service of the Council of the EU © European Communities

WHO needs whom - Moldova the Eastern partnership or the Eastern partnership Moldova? In the last few weeks and months there have been repeated rumors that the Eastern partnership countries are going to further diversify their cooperation options. There are two perfect examples - Ukraine and Armenia. The European Union is becoming more aware that the developments in the Eastern neighbourhood can represent a risk and it is called to stimulate its relations with some "A-plus students" if it didn't want to jeopardize the credibility of its Eastern policy. Who is eligible to become a showcase? Moldova?! However, it should be handled with caution.

David Cameron and "His European Union"

A. Merkel, D. Cameron, F. Hollande; Foto: TMNews (http://www.tmnews.it)

During the European Council in December 2012 all the European leaders stood side by side. In January 2013 the future of the European Union is being used to drive a wedge between the "Big Three": Great Britain, France and Germany. While Angela Merkel and François Hollande celebrate their "Golden Wedding", David Cameron pledges EU exit. What a European Leadership? Stefan Lehne states: "Several factors differentiate these three countries from most other member states. First, the Big Three states can still rely on their own weight to influence developments and are less dependent on multilateral institutions. Second, they can forum-shop; the EU is just one of several relevant institutional frameworks in which they can operate. And third, the Big Three are involved in shaping policies across a much wider range than other states."

Armenia Reloaded: 2013 Elections and Shuttle Diplomacy

EU-Armenia, Foto: Photographic service of the Council of the EU © European Communities

Elections in the Post-Soviet space are increasingly an European task and responsibility but mostly are leaving everything the way it is. Just take a look on Ukraine. Armenia is also preparing to hold elections in 2013. The European Union is getting ready for surprises but is more prepared after the Ukraine's election in 2012. Perhaps... There are more "sticks" than "carrots" for EU support of EU-Armenian relations. But Russia is offering more "security carrots" than "democracy sticks". But everything depends on Armenia.

The Fall of the Eastern Partnership? Or even Ukraine?

Eastern Partnership countries, Graphik: Hristofor Hridsoskulov

Six different neighbouring countries - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine - one concrete idea for enhancing relationships with those countries - Eastern Partnership.  A lot of time has gone by since the Eastern Partnership has been launched. And what happened? The European Union has taken some slow steps in its primal dierection. The idea is not bad: association agreements including deep and comprehensive free trade agreements with those countries willing and able to enter into a deeper engagement and gradual integration in the EU economy; gradual visa liberalisation, accompanied by measures to tackle illegal immigration; promoting democracy and good governance, strengthening energy security; promoting sector reform and environment protection, encouraging people to people contacts, supporting economic and social development and offering additional funding for projects to reduce socio-economic imbalances and increasing stability. That is all well and good, of course, but the European Union can hardly put any of this to the test at a time when the six countries are undergoing a very difficult and sometimes really strange orientation process.

"The Biggest Hits For Europe's Last Dictator" by Franak Vyachorka and RFE/RL's Belarus Service

During his 18 years as president, Lukashenka has been the hero of many songs, and not only in Belarus. Here is a Top 10  list of songs about the man once dubbed "Europe's last dictator."

Read more: http://www.rferl.org/content/lukashenka-top-10/24755472.html

The new Hollywood film about the Russia-Georgia conflict of 2008

Where Is German Foreign Policy Heading?

Do A. Merkel and G. Westerwelle want to be remembered as the architects of an "armchair" foreign policy? 

The nuclear disaster in Fukushima and the decision for air strikes on Lybia: These two recent events are decisive for the current status quo of German Foreign policy. The slogan is mainly attributed to the tighter dependence on the outcome of the local elections in two main Bundesländer, namely Baden-Wuerttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. Therefore, the German government, led by the two coalition partners, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) under Angela Merkel as Federal chancellor and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) with Guido Westerwelle as foreign minister, adopted a wait-and-see attitude in the German Foreign policy.

Eastern EU Members "go for color" and accept responsibility for Eastern Partnership countries

For nearly two decades, the Eastern EU Members enjoy the advantage of democracy. Since 2004 all of them are able to enjoy the same benefits as full EU Members. It is time to break that stranglehold of the past of beeing a kind of second-class member and to create a new democratic environment that applies to all Eastern neighbours of the European Union. The whole development in the Eastern Partnership countries open a window of opportunity to come to a sustainable and durable influence on the European Eastern policy.

The European Union and Belarus: "Policy of Critical Engagement"?

General view of the meeting.
Foto: Photographic service of the Council
of the EU ©European Communities

The selective employment of "sticks", namely imposing sanctions until the rest of the EU demands are fulfilled, and "carrots", namely support for the civil society, has been a part of the Council's conclusion. After a foreign ministers' meeting on Monday (31 January 2011), this decision has been made:

Rendez-vous with the last dictatorship in Europe: Belarus

Belarus and the Eastern Partnership

The transformation process after the collapse of the Soviet Union leaded to a kind of rapprochement of many Eastern European countries to united Europe. Among the new neighbouring countries after the Eastern enlargement in 2004 and 2007, Belarus remains an exception in many respects with its supposed neutrality and autoctrative style of governance. Nearly 1250 kilometres forming the common border of the European Union with Belarus. But after the era of European enlargement and the increased dominance of territory and borders in the path toward national political and economic strength of Russia, the real test for Belarus' transition lies in the overcoming of two different political approaches: the European Neighbourhood Policy's "ring of friends" and the Russian "near abroad" policy.

2011 - A Year for the Eastern Partnership?

2011 could be a crucial year for the development of the EU's Eastern Partnership. There are some initial steps towards deeper rapprochement, but 2011 could be a year where the EU and the partner countries should show their will for.

Javier Solana, José Manuel Barroso and Mirek Topolánek
during their speeches at the Eastern Partnership Summit.
Foto: Photographic service of the Council of the EU ©
European Communities

Eastern Partnership - Background

The EU's Eastern Partnership was initially a Polish-Swedish initiative but was taken over by the European Commission in December 2008 and endorsed by the European Council in March 2009, under the Czech EU Presidency. It aims to complete the Union's foreign policy towards Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus by developing a specific Eastern dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy. The countries concerned are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

How will WikiLeaks affect European Diplomacy with Eastern Partner Countries?

WikiLeaks and the "leaked cables"

In his post "How will WikiLeaks affect diplomacy?" Jovan Kurbalija made some interesting conclusions of how will WikiLeaks affect diplomacy as a whole: "Probably the only positive impact WikiLeaks will have is that it will demystify diplomacy. (...) The global diplomatic plane has to be fixed while it is flying. It is very likely that diplomatic services will immediately react by increasing security, becoming more exclusive, and even more secretive. It will, at least temporarily, discourage those who argue for having more engaging and inclusive global diplomacy. The exact opposite, in fact, to what, at least declaratively, WikiLeaks wanted to achieve."

And the winner is...not Moldova!

Moldova is getting less media attention anyway. The elections last Sunday (28 November 2010) were no exception. The parliamentary elections held on 28 November 2010 in Moldova supposed to put Moldova back on European track. However, the election results clearly show once again that political instability will continue shaping the Moldovan political and social life.

Macro-Regions: New Tool Emerging for Regional Cooperation

Macro-regions in the European Union.

Author: Hr. Hrisoskulov

The development of new initiatives for creating new macro-regions in the European Union has recently speeded up considerably, and the range of new fields of regional cooperation is expanding noticeably. The European Commission adopted a Communication on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region on 10 June 2009. On 8 December 2010 the European Commission will adopt a Communication on the EU Strategy for the Danube Region. Under German EU Presidency in 2007, the EU has developed under the framework of the European Neighbourhood policy a programme, “Black Sea Synergy”, with a number of concrete initiatives looking at areas like transport, energy, the environment, maritime management, fisheries, migration, and the fight against organised crime, the information society and cultural cooperation. The Black Sea region has the potential to become the third macro-region in the European Union.

Moldovan Troubles arising from Transformation

Moldova is one of the smallest and poorest European countries on the immediate border of the European Union. The Sunday early parliamentary elections (28 November 2010) in Moldova may be significant for the future orientation of the country. "After scheduled elections in April 2009 and snap polls in July 2009 failed to designate clear-cut winners, the forthcoming elections have been billed as another chance for Moldova to solve the institutional impasse." (the Sofia Echo)  Vladimir Socor, a Senior Fellow of the Washington-based Jamestown Foundation, is quite optimistic and underscored: "It seems to me that after these elections, after November 28, for the first time, there will be the majority of 61 seats in parliament to elect a new head of state." Two other possibilities is a Communist alliance with a centrist party that can garner enough votes to elect a president, or a strong enough showing by the Communists that they can continue to block such a vote, Andrew Yurkovsky had alleged citing Socor.