EPC Summit agenda could include discussions on EU cooperation with non-EU states, experts
The agenda of the European Political Community Summit could include, in addition to the central theme of security, some discussions on EU cooperation with non-EU countries, in particular those of the Eastern Partnership, is the conclusion of the participants in the international conference on the expectations of the Summit, held in Chisinau.
Some experts noted that this cooperation platform is no longer viable, as it focuses on European integration and only three countries, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia have this objective. But others argue that the Eastern Partnership can work as long as it is funded by the European Union.
Jakob Hedenskog, an analyst at the Centre for East European Studies in Stockholm, says the cooperation platforms launched by the EU are not substitutes for each other. Each has its own objectives.
"A lot of countries have come to the conclusion that they present a policy framework, but have said that this format is already kind of 'dead' and should not be considered, in fact Belarus has already absorbed the idea, Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan already show no interest in coming closer to these values. Essentially they became like a hierarchy between the framework of enlargement policies that graduated this trio. The Eastern Partnership needs to evolve, but more will become a threshold of connectivity of how many other projects," said Jakob Hedenskog.
For his part, Iulian Groza, Executive Director of the Institute for European Policies and Reforms, said that the Eastern Partnership is not an impediment for the trio of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia to integrate into the European Union, on the contrary it has a considerable role.
"We see that the EU is looking for ways to adjust enlargement policies to facilitate the transition of these three states in the context of EU enlargement, looking for the right instruments, the opportunities that are put in front of the states with EU candidate status. I believe that the Eastern Partnership will exist as long as it will receive financial support from the EU", concluded Iulian Groza.
Participants at the conference on the expectations of the European Political Community Summit, which will take place on 1 June in Bulboaca, also mentioned that the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia would advocate the enlargement policy, while three other Eastern Partnership countries - Belarus, Azerbaijan and Armenia - are still undecided on the choice of development vector.
The Eastern Partnership was launched in Prague in 2007.
