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Post-Soviet Integration - New Hopes

By Danyil Rozanov

The process of the Common Economic Space launch preparation goes on. This is a new integration mega-project within post-soviet area. On July 1st 2011 starts a new formation stage of the Common Economic Space of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Customs bodies finish the performance customs control over the goods within internal borders of the Customs Union states – the most important stage of the CES establishment. Its initiators underline success achieved within development of common internal market of the CU states undertime. The EU states spent 36 years on that; Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan with joint efforts managed to do that in a year. It is supposed that the CES starts operating on January 1st of 2012. READ MORE

Interview with Donald Tusk, the Polish premier

By Jan Cienski and Joshua Chaffin

Financial Times: Poland is beginning its European Union presidency at a momentous time for the Union – the euro crisis, Schengen, north Africa. What are the scenarios and solutions? READ MORE

Giscard: Europe needs a people’s congress

By Daniela Vincenti-Mitchener

EU leaders are too focused on the short term of upcoming elections and lack a strategic vision to give new impetus to European integration and better connect with citizens, said Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. READ MORE

Lithuanian-U.S. cooperation priorities discussed between Grybauskaite and Clinton

By Petras Vaida

President Dalia Grybauskaite met with Unites States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, currently visiting Vilnius at her invitation, to discuss energy and regional security issues, Lithuanian-U.S. cooperation priorities, and prospects of democratic development in the neighboring countries. READ MORE

LITHUANIA AND UKRAINE SIGN JOINT DECLARATION ON COOPERATION AT BOTH AN INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL LEVEL

In Vilnius, Lithuania and Ukraine signed a joint declaration on cooperation at both an international and regional level, which provides for consultations of the countries on international and regional issues, also during their chairmanship of regional organizations, and as Ukraine is looking forward to progress on the Association Agreement with the European Union. READ MORE

The CSTO is in Search within Strategic Directions

By Tevan Poghosyan

Most Russian and European politicians and experts admit the obvious amorphism of the CSTO and its incomplete adequacy towards real challenges. READ MORE

The President of Lithuania met with the President of Kosovo

President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė had a meeting with the President of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga. The leader of Kosovo attended yesterday the high-level conference ‘Women Enhancing Democracy: Best Practices' initiated by the Lithuanian and Finnish heads of state. READ MORE

The Divided States of Europe

By Marko Papic

Europe continues to be engulfed by economic crisis.   The global focus returns to Athens on June 28 as Greek parliamentarians debate austerity measures imposed on them by eurozone partners. If the Greeks vote down these measures, Athens will not receive its second bailout, which could create an even worse crisis in Europe and the world. READ MORE

The Polish EU Presidency: Budget and solidarity

Paving the way for an "ambitious" agreement on the 2014-2020 budget, energy security and the European Union's Eastern neighbourhood are all key priorities of the Polish EU Presidency during the second half of 2011. The Poles, for their part, have pulled all the stops to ensure that the Union remains committed to redistributive policies at a time of economic austerity. READ MORE

Due West: Ukraine Turns Gaze Back to Brussels

By Konstantin von Eggert

Last Monday, the Russian daily newspaper Kommersant published a document described as a Ukrainian government plan for developing relations with NATO. Ukraine has enjoyed a privileged “partnership” status with the alliance since the late 1990s.  Despite this, the general public attitude among Ukrainians toward NATO is ambiguous at best, with only around 30 percent of the population supporting the prospect of Ukraine's membership in the alliance. The document published by Kommersant describes plans by the government in Kiev that go a long way towards rapprochement with NATO. Indeed, the plans might even be interpreted as a road map towards starting to acquire the NATO Membership Action Plan – a step in relations considered as a tacit admission that a country aspiring to join the alliance is on track to eventually doing so. READ MORE