Why do Brussels need "Eastern Partnership"?

Vilnius summit of the EU and six countries of the former Soviet Union will be held at end of November and is crucial in the fate of the "Eastern Partnership".

The fate of future relations among the six countries involved in the program, (Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Belarus) with Brussels will be determined in Vilnius.

Members of the Program are unequally moving towards the EU: Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova are going to sign an association agreement with the EU, Azerbaijan to sign only an agreement on visa facilitation, and Armenia, at the last moment, changed its mind on signing the Association Agreement, preferring a customs union with Russia. As for Belarus, the country continues to be politically isolated from the European territory.

In mid-September, in Brussels, a group of journalists from the Eastern Partnership countries held a series of meetings with officials. The format of the meetings does not allow disclosing their names, that is why the conversations were quite frank.

The parties provided the position of Brussels and gave answers to questions about the interests and priorities of the EU's Eastern Partnership.

The main conclusion that can be made is that Brussels is determined to continue the rapprochement with the European Partnership, despite geopolitical and other obstacles, one of which is the position and policy of Moscow.

Russia's desire to keep Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia from signing the Association Agreement in Brussels is regarded as outright blackmail and pressure. A similar opinion was expressed on all levels, including the highest.

At the same time, representatives of the European Union, the European Commission and the European Parliament have emphasized that they would not act like Moscow and leave the choice to the partner countries themselves. They offered to compare the capabilities and potential of Europe and Russia in matters of economy, education, health care, scientific potential, etc.

"If we approach from the point of view of arithmetic, then think who profits from trade and to build long-term relationships," said one of the officials, responding to a question about the great possibilities of the Russian market. "Think how many counterfeit and substandard goods and services are in Russia, and compare it with the European Union. What standards do you want to achieve?

For example, Russia banned the import of Georgian wine, but the wine industry in Georgia has benefited from this. The quality of wine has increased, and now wine is sold not only in Europe, but also far beyond its borders. Today, Moldova is in a similar situation, and should make a right choice," continued the European official.

Moscow’s sharp criticism and the Kremlin's policy was quite unusual for politically correct Europeans, but they did not hide the fact that this is a reaction to Moscow's actions, which "forced” Yerevan to refuse to sign the Association Agreement.

"We will not accept such a policy during the Cold War, Moscow must understand that pressure on the partners may not lead to a mutual beneficial cooperation, we leave the door open for Armenia," said one of the representatives of European Parliament.

Representatives of Brussels did not hide disappointment, and actions of Yerevan, which "has lost the last elements of an independent state" and does not try to protect them. "We understand that the security of Armenia was at stake, to be exact, Karabakh. However, this once again shows the futility of the situation, and the need to find a common language with Azerbaijan, instead of trying to pull the chestnuts out of the fire by proxy," said the same parliamentarian, adding that Moscow is not interested in solving protracted conflicts, because instead uses them to put pressure on Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova.

Concerning Azerbaijan, Brussels think that the country is afraid of the democratic impact of European cooperation, and seeks to limit only the sale of oil and gas. "If Baku thinks they can build as Iron Curtain and live quietly behind it, then let him remember the fate of the Soviet Union. Today, in a global world, in the era of social networking and open borders, a similar ostrich policy is not serious, and Azerbaijan is not the Soviet Union. In addition, your officials keep their money in our banks, buy expensive real estate, are treated in Europe, and have a business here. What do they fear?", a representative in Brussels noted sarcastically.

The journalists of the Eastern Partnership left cold Baku in cold September with different feelings, but firmly convinced that the summit in Vilnius will be hot. To be honest, the position of the European Union looked more clear and understandable, than the policy of "Eastern Partnership."