The Search For Independence From Russian Monopoly
Lately, the relations between Minsk and Kiev have intensified evidently. It is considered that they are stimulated by the EU program “Eastern Partnership” launched on May 7th and in the end of the project of “Union state”, marked by a scandalous statement of Russian Vice Prime-Minister and the Minister of Finance Aleksey Kudrin about oncoming collapse of Belarusian economy made on May 28th in Minsk. The following harsh and negative reaction of Aleksander Lukashenko guided Minsk to search for new various schemes with other states. And primarily with such neighbors as Ukraine and Lithuania on bilateral and multilateral grounds. READ MORE
Europe urged to be 'visionary' with Ukraine
Experts from Washington have called on the EU to be more daring and propose closer ties with its large Eastern neighbour. But European Commission officials told that the current mood in Europe was not exactly in tune with such an approach. READ MORE
The Eastern Partnership: Getting Down To Work
Four weeks after the launch of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) the EU and its eastern neighbours 1 are getting down to work. One of the innovations of the EaP is a new multilateral dimension to relations with these countries alongside the bilateral path of cooperation . The first Eastern Partnership (EaP) multilateral platform held, 5 June, in Brussels. READ MORE
Belarus leader says will not beg Russia for loans
Belarus`s president declared an end on May 29 to "begging" to Russia and told his government to ignore Moscow`s decision to shelve a $500 million loan and turn elsewhere to find credits. Alyaksandr Lukashenka made his comments a day after Russia`s finance minister said the funds were no longer on offer as its smaller Western neighbor -- linked by a "union treaty" since the 1990s -- could be insolvent by the end of the year. READ MORE
Consultations On The EU Strategy For The Baltic Sea Region Took Place In Vilnius
On 28 May, consultations on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region were held in Vilnius at the initiative of Lithuania and Sweden. Lithuania was represented by Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry Žygimantas Pavilionis and Sweden by State Secretary for the European Union at the Office of the Prime Minister of Sweden Maria Asenius. Officials from the European Commission, Foreign Ministries of Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Finland and Germany took part in the consultations. READ MORE
EU-Russia summit reveals differences rather than agreement
EU and Russian leaders failed to mend the rifts at their summit in the Siberian town of Khabarovsk. Moscow criticised the EU's new eastern partnership while Brussels urged for a more reliable energy supply.
At the press conference on the last day of talks, both sides were eager to stress the good relations and the positive atmosphere of the summit. READ MORE
US analyst: West should better monitor Russia
There is "little appetite" today in the Western world to monitor Russia's "influence operations" and "active measures" vis-à-vis the EU, Ariel Cohen, a senior researcher with the conservative US Heritage Foundation, told in an interview. READ MORE
Marathon of Prague Summits is Over
Two of four summits held in Prague under the aegis of the EU attracted attention of world media the most: on the issues of Polish-Swedish initiative of Eastern Partnership and “Southern Corridor – New Silk Road”. Participants of these summits singed political declarations.
Two others concerned the cooperation of the EU with Canada and the problems of employment within the EU states. READ MORE
German, French leaders question Turkish EU membership
German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Berlin on Sunday in a mutual show of support ahead of European elections next month. READ MORE
