The Future of the Eastern Partnership Seen from a German Perspective
A few weeks ago the foreign ministers from the member states of the Eastern Partnership have met in Sopot, Poland, to discuss the future of the Eastern Partnership. Exactly one year after the establishment of the Eastern Partnership, a Polish-Swedish proposaladopted as an EU strategy on 28 May 2009 during the EU-summit in Prague, the ministers opened the Eastern Partnership for supporters from other countries founding "the Group of Friends". What does this mean for the Eastern Partnership?
The purpose of the Eastern Partnership was to redefine relations between the enlarged EU and its eastern neighbouring states in conceptual terms. The war in Georgia broke out in August 2008 whilst the strategy was still being formulated, and this changedthe whole framework of the EU's Eastern Policy. In January 2009 Russia interrupted gas deliveries to Ukraine, which led inexorably to a freeze in relations with the EU. The latter reacted by adopting the Eastern Partnership at the summit in Prague. However,a year later the situation has changed completely, and relations with Russia are improving steadily, albeit rather slowly. In Ukraine there were democratic presidential elections, and a few months after the elections the new incumbent concluded a treaty with Russia which will lead to greater links with the Russian Federation. There do not seem to be measures in the offing in any of the other neighbouring states, with the exception of Moldova, which seem to point to a greater degree of interaction with the EU. Underthese circumstances it is legitimate.