Sixth COST Action ENTER Policy Brief published: Time to Reassess the Reliability of the Eastern Partnership

European Union’s actorness in the Eastern neighbourhood encountered mixed results. After ten years of the Eastern Partnership, its partners have faced not only external aggression, but also armed conflicts among themselves and internal instability. Within this context, the author argues for a reassessment of the reliability of the current format of the Eastern Partnership.

The policy brief argues that the Southern Caucasus is a contested area of influence in which the European Union lacks a strategic orientation. Strategically and economically, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia matter for the EU’s actorness in the East. The EU failed in achieving a mechanism for effective cooperation with Belarus, with a trade agreement signed during the Cold War and disregarding the Union between Belarus and Russia. The policy brief suggests that the EU needs to redefine its strategy towards its Eastern Partners. Given the complex differences between the Eastern Partnership countries, the author concludes that the Eastern Partnership could benefit from a strategic segmentation.

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