Falling back on Russia and getting a share from Europe

Under the guise of a balanced foreign policy, we have come much closer to Russia's orbit. This is not only a geopolitical policy and cooperation with the neighboring country. We have squeezed ourselves under the umbrella of Russia by moving away from the Euro-Atlantic space. There remains the European Union (EU) formal cooperation format. We remain distant with the principle of "neither war nor peace." We cannot talk about real integration at all. Because no framework document has been signed for association membership or strategic cooperation.

The coronavirus pandemic shook the pillars of a "building" built on a global scale. However, the fall in oil prices has left Russia, which was unable to withstand a little in this megatrend, to take care of itself. Assistance programs with post-Soviet countries were not remembered. It has not been interested in it. However, the European Union, as a strong union format, has not forgotten its financial assistance not only to its member states but also to its partner countries, which are far from membership. It has launched global response measures on the fight against the pandemic. To this end, the EU decided in Brussels (April 8, 2020) to allocate more than € 15.6 billion from existing foreign resources to partner countries. [1]

Eastern Partnership Program Support Budget

The European Commission has mobilized an emergency support package for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine within the framework of its activities on a global scale against the spread of coronavirus infection. € 80 million have been allocated for urgent needs. At the same time, about € 883 million have been allocated for short and medium-term projects to support the social and economic recovery of the region. [2]

Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan have announced a support package allocated for urgent and short-term needs. [3]

How these funds will be distributed across countries and the share they will receive will be as follows:

Belarus will receive more than € 60 million of financial support for urgent and short-term needs. These funds will be used mainly for ambulances, respirators, and other emergency medical services in hospitals to help doctors fight the coronavirus pandemic.

More than € 87 million will be provided to Moldova for short-term needs. This financial support will be used mainly to provide gloves and medical masks for low-income families and health workers, as well as protective kits such as sterilizers for equipment.

More than € 190 million will be allocated for emergency measures in Ukraine. It is designed to help low-income people, a transition to online education, combat disinformation, and strengthen cultural diversity and creativity through the Internet.

South Caucasus republics and Azerbaijan which receives the least financial assistance

More than € 92 million of financial support is planned for Armenia for urgent and short-term needs. This support program will focus on improving more than 3,000 low-income households, mainly people with disabilities and large families.

For Georgia, the support package will be more than € 183 million just for urgent and short-term needs. The Georgian company, which produces special materials for the medical field, acquired 12 additional sewing machines and produced 40,000 medical gowns in one week thanks to a micro-grant provided by the EU.

Azerbaijan will receive more than € 14 million of financial support for urgent needs. These funds will be used to purchase new equipment for the production of personal protective equipment in vocational schools operating in several regions of the country.

There are good lessons we can learn. Which ones? Come on, let's focus.

Assistance to Ukraine, which insists on the transition to democracy and a free economy, will exceed the sum of both aids to Belarus and Moldova.

From € 289 million "pie" to be sent to South Caucasus republics, the interest rate of funds coming to Azerbaijan will be only 4.8%. This is the amount of power that a country with a dominant economy, which accounts for 75% of the GDP of the South Caucasus republics, can attract foreign investment. It seems that Armenia, with a population 3 times less than Azerbaijan, will receive 6.5 times more financial support than us, and Georgia, with a population 2.6 times less than Azerbaijan, will receive 13 times more financial support than us.

Let's start again by saying that it is Christian bigotry and states envy us...

Or let's start by saying that if you are on the path to democracy, you will go with "autopilot" on the right path...

However, if the progressive part of the world goes in any direction, if you do not go in that direction, it is as if you have not gone anywhere.

Who and what way will help a state that does not want to go anywhere but simply pitches its tent on a fixed point at a crossroad and calls its position a "balanced policy"?

If you avoid of the free market, democracy, and human rights required for integration, if you are only ready to sell oil and be ready for mercantilist cooperation, then you will be considered not only an equal subject but also a partner who is always left alone in a difficult day. If there are no mechanisms for development and mutual interests created by cooperation, you will always be left out of formal relations.

This is not a fate descending from above, but a fate fabricated and created. And it is a bad fate. It is also our fate...

References:

1. https://azertag.az/xeber/Avropa_Ittifaqi_terefdas_olkelere_156_milyard_avrodan_chox_maliyye_vesaiti_ayirmagi_nezerde_tutur-1458393 
2. Document on support for the elimination of complications of the coronavirus pandemic in the EU Eastern Partnership region, European Commission 2020
3. EaP (Eastern Partnership), April 2020 #Coronavirus

[1] https://azertag.az/xeber/Avropa_Ittifaqi_terefdas_olkelere_156_milyard_avrodan_chox_maliyye_vesaiti_ayirmagi_nezerde_tutur-1458393

[2] Document on support for the elimination of complications of the coronavirus pandemic in the EU Eastern Partnership region, European Commission 2020

[3] EaP (Eastern Partnership), April 2020 #Coronavirus