"Eastern Partnership": an instrument of expansion
The so-called “Eastern Partnership” (VP) originated on the basis of the Polish-Swedish initiative, promulgated in May 2008. A year later, the first VP summit took place in Prague. The organization’s program indicated that the Eastern Partnership would be developing "in parallel with cooperation with Russia." And in general, it was strongly emphasized that the goal of the organization is to desire only to smooth out the contradictions between the “old” and “new” members of the European Union.However, it soon became clear that not everything is so innocuous - the Eastern Partnership tied up negotiations on the preparation of association agreements with Ukraine and Moldova. Work programs for four thematic platforms on 2009 – 2011 were quickly developed and approved. Their names (“Democracy, good governance and stability”, “Economic integration and convergence with EU policies” “Energy security”, “Contacts between people”) clearly showed that the European Union attaches great importance to the “pull-up” of the western republics of the former USSR in its area of influence.
It is clear that in Moscow they were not very happy about the emergence of a new organization, suspecting that something was wrong. For example, a specialist in world politics Andrei Suzdaltsev believes that the real goal of the Eastern Partnership is to push Russia into the "northeast corner of Eurasia." And the deputy director of the Institute of CIS countries, Igor Shishkin, explicitly states that the Eastern Partnership was conceived not so much for the development of new markets, but rather in order to tear the post-Soviet states from Russia. Indeed, in Brussels, it was repeatedly made clear that they considered the Customs Union promoted by Moscow as a dangerous competitor. In fact, there is a struggle between two rival centers for the exploration of continental space.
According to experts, Russia can, of course, participate in the EaP programs, but it should be clearly understood that the activities of the Eastern Partnership objectively conflict with Russian integration projects.
Moreover, the growing influence of the EU in the post-Soviet space is connected, first of all, with the lack of a clear political vector for Russian diplomacy in relation to neighboring states.
Meanwhile, VP with every year more clearly manifests its offensive essence. And it is noteworthy that the “Young Europeans” from the Baltic States are in the vanguard, considering, apparently, the “crusade to the East” is an extremely important mission. It is known that by now the countries of the Eastern Partnership are divided: Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia have signed associative treaties with the European Union; Azerbaijan, Armenia and Belarus - no. As the ambassador-at-large of the Latvian Foreign Ministry, Juris Poikans, said recently, “the EU has made great commitments regarding the top three. Moldova has already received visa-free status with the EU. Meanwhile, Brussels respects the choice of Armenia and Belarus to join the Eurasian Union, but wants the same respect from Moscow regarding Ukraine and Georgia. ” The ambassador called the position of Azerbaijan “unclear” because there is a “frozen” conflict in Karabakh. It seems that it was not without cunning: few people in Europe are satisfied with the successful development of a competitive vehicle. And therefore, at the very first opportunity that has arisen, European emissaries, for sure, will try to change the political trajectory of the same Azerbaijan, Armenia and Belarus.
Thus, recently the Polish fund “Window to the East” has intensified its activities in Armenia, which is associated with special structures of the United States and Poland.
This year, the Foundation conducted a number of trainings, seminars, round tables and other events in different Armenian cities, during which local youth were trained to “express their civic position in non-standard ways”.
This program was led by the former Polish Foreign Minister Vlodzimierz Tsimoshevich. And at the beginning of this month, the 15 session of the Armenia-EU cooperation committee was held in Brussels, during which issues of the development of cooperation between this state and the EU in various fields were discussed. A month earlier, Gunnar Wiegand, Head of the European External Action Service Department, visited Belarus. “Wiegand arrived in Minsk. Quiet, unnoticed. A new feature of Brussels diplomacy, ”Anatoly Lebedko, head of the Belarusian opposition United Civil Party, said on his Twitter. In general, the work on expanding the orbit of “Greater Europe” continues. True, unlike Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, official Minsk does not seek to become a member of the European Union and does not plan to sign an association agreement with the EU. But everything is so changeable in our world ...
In November of this year. Lithuania, Latvia, Great Britain and Hungary agreed to create a fund in Brussels, from which the participation of the EaP countries in military missions and exercises will be financed - the corresponding agreement was signed by the defense ministers of these states. This structure is intended "to support the participation of the Eastern Partnership countries in the overall EU security and defense policy." According to the Ministry of Defense of Lithuania, other states will be able to join the activities of the foundation. “The foundation being established is a practical measure that will allow the Eastern Partnership countries to be encouraged to participate more actively in the pan-European security and defense policy. The current security situation requires Europe to take such practical measures, ”said Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Olakas. The agreement provides that the fund’s funds may be used to finance the participation of representatives of the Eastern Partnership countries in the EU military missions, crisis management operations, EU exercises. The idea of creating such a fund was put forward by Lithuania, when she chaired the EU Council in the second half of 2013.
Attention is drawn to the active participation in the affairs of the Eastern Partnership of new EU members who have joined it relatively recently. This is not surprising: the fact is that the EU is built on the principles of an unforgettable MMM. In other words, the well-being of the participants of this “pyramid” very much depends on whether it will be possible to attract new “contributors”. For example, the result of the ten-year stay of the Baltic states in the European Union turned out to be discouraging, strikingly different from the flowery promises distributed to the inhabitants of this region in 2002-2003. The EU, like a vampire, “sucked” it economically and demographically. And when last year the prospect of Euro-economic colonization of Ukraine loomed, the same Balts took it with great enthusiasm, hoping that now they too would have a little to warm their hands on it. Some did not hesitate to reason: now the "Ukrainians" will start to visit us "guest workers", as we ourselves ride to the UK and Ireland.
In addition, local politicians are warmed by the thought of a weighty “flick on the nose”, which the Russian Federation, which they deeply disliked by them, will get, when they can “pull out” another country from its sphere of influence.
At the present time, the Baltic republics feel that they are guards of such a “frontier”, where the struggle for the integration vector is going on - European or Eurasian. As already mentioned, in the second half of 2013, when, as expected, Ukraine entered into an agreement with the European Union, Lithuania chaired the EU Council - the document was being prepared to be signed in November in Vilnius during the Eastern Partnership summit. Lithuanian ambitious president Dalia Grybauskaite saw in this a brilliant chance to raise his authority in the eyes of Brussels. True, then the ruling politicians were still trying to observe minimal etiquette. For example, in November 2011, the then Minister of Defense of Latvia Artis Pabriks declared to the author of these lines: “I sincerely believe that the European choice of Ukraine will in no way harm the interests of the Russian Federation. After all, since we have been talking about a strategic partnership between the EU and the Russian Federation for some time, we should strive to fill these conversations with real content. ”
As you know, the Vilnius summit of the EaP was a failure. The twin-headed president Viktor Yanukovych at the last moment changed his mind about signing an agreement on Euro-association (although it was he who in previous years proved to his people the need for rapprochement with Europe) and all polites were abandoned. In Kiev, they began to consistently “push through” the power version, and a flurry of all kinds of charges came down on Russia. And right up to the moment of Yanukovych’s flight, emissaries from the Baltic countries flew to Kiev as if to work: to inspire the “rebellious people”. For example, the European MP from Latvia Sandra Kalniete in February (when the Golden Eagle in Kiev was still holding back the onslaught of “peaceful protesters”) stated: “Surely the Baltic friends felt the same way in bloody January 1991, watching people being killed in Vilnius and Riga. They would also have no opportunity to intervene if Moscow decided to clear the barricades in Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius with the help of tanks and special forces. But the Soviet regime stopped after the first calls of Western leaders who contacted Gorbachev. The threat of economic sanctions was so strong that the freedom fighters of the Baltic countries were not destroyed. Then the "scoop" was one. Without any economic or other support from the outside world. And this did not leave Gorbachev a choice. Yanukovych is not alone. Behind him stands Russia with its gas money and military muscles. In addition, both Putin and Yanukovych know what “softness” can lead to - the collapse of the “scoop”, the rose revolution in Georgia, the Arab spring. This fight is not for life, but for death. If Yanukovych wins, then they will bury the dead, prisons will be beaten to failure, and those who succeed in becoming a refugee in Europe will be happy. ”
Legally elected power in Ukraine dropped. Although they tried to portray the former president as an utter tyrant, he did not take the sin of shedding blood. Kalniete’s predictions began to come true under the rule of “pro-European democrats” who replaced the weak Yanukovych: the dead are buried in large quantities, prisons are full of opponents of the regime, and many ordinary Ukrainians sleep and see where to escape from such a “flourishing freedom”. Hello, North Somalia! But now the new president Petro Poroshenko declares that “there is no alternative to European integration.” According to him, “the common European course of Ukraine and Moldova will facilitate the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict and security cooperation.” It is easy to guess that such statements do not improve the mood of the pro-Russian Transnistrian residents, who remember too well the previous “integration” attempt in 1992 that ended with a lot of blood. If the result of the Lithuanian Presidency of the EU Council and the Eastern Partnership Vilnius Summit turned out to be so shattering, what consequences should be prepared now, when Riga is preparing to take over the reins of government in Riga, and the next summit is scheduled for May 2015 in Riga? Apparently, the tough expansion to the east will continue - they talk about it directly, in plain English. The other day, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgar Rinkevich, at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in the format “Group of Ukraine’s Friends in the EU”, made a landmark statement. He stressed that at the upcoming Riga Summit "it is necessary to give a clear signal of the EU's interest in the further development of the Eastern Partnership."
MEP from Latvia Robert Zile was even more frank. Speaking about the foreign policy priorities of the European Union for the coming period, Zile did not hide the fact that the focus will be on the countries of Central Asia.
According to him, Latvia will work with them in order to “weaken Putin’s idea of creating a Eurasian Union.” “The worse it will turn out for him, the better the EU will be,” said the euro-deputy.
It is worth noting that Latvia has long since moved from words to deeds: the highest-level delegations from this country made frequent visits to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Mongolia. President of the Republic Andris Berzins himself takes part in such visits, each time accompanied by a huge retinue of officials and businessmen. And on September 15, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Andrei Pildegovich, opened a training program for representatives of the Eastern Partnership region and the countries of Central Asia (Advanced Program in Europe). Program participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Latvia, Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan replenished their knowledge in Latvia in the field of European law, economics and international politics until December 5. The stated goal of the program is: “to improve the quality of work of public administration in the countries of the EaP region and Central Asia in the reform process and to transfer the experience and knowledge accumulated by Latvia”. Lecturers from the Latvian Foreign Policy Institute, the University of Latvia, the Riga School of Economics and the European Institute of Public Administration participated in its implementation. The project was financed from the state budget.
So, while Russia is focusing, assertive and aggressive European commissioners from the Eastern Partnership continue to actively reformat the ruling elites in the post-Soviet states.
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