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Searching for New Momentum in Eu-Russia Relations

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Searching for New Momentum in Eu-Russia Relations SEARCHING FOR NEW MOMENTUM IN EU-RUSSIA RELATIONS Vladimír Benč Vladimír Bilčík Alexander Duleba Elena Klitsounova Zuzana Lisoňová Lucia Najšlová Iryna Solonenko Andrei Zagorski Agenda, Tools and Institutions Bratislava 2009 Table of Contents Edited by Alexander Duleba Foreword ..........................................................................................................7 Authors: 1. EU-R R: h S f Aff ...................................9 Vladimír Benč, Vladimír Bilčík, Alexander Duleba, Elena Klitsunova, (Alexander Duleba) Zuzana Lisoňová, Lucia Najšlová, Iryna Solonenko, Andrei Zagorski 2. L L f h Ep f C Sp ....27 Proofread by John Conolly 2.1. Common Economic Space & EU Financial Tools for Russia .....27 (Vladimír Benč) Printed and designed by Devin Printing House, s. r. o. 2.2. Common Space on Freedom, Security and Justice ....................48 (Vladimír Bilčík) Bratislava 2009 2.3. The Not-so-Common Space of External Security: Interests, © Research Center of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association Fears and the Way Out ..................................................................68 (Lucia Najšlová) Hviezdoslavovo nám. 14 2.4. Common Space on Research, Education, and Culture ............97 811 02 Bratislava (Zuzana Lisoňová) Slovak Republic Tel: + 421 2 5443 3151 3. R’ Pp C .............................................115 Fax: + 421 2 5443 3161 3.1. A Strategic Partnership Lacking a Strategic Vision .................115 www.sfpa.sk (Andrei Zagorski) 3.2. EU-Russia Relations through the Prism of Four Common Spaces:How Russia Views Them ...............................................137 (Elena Klitsounova) This publication appears thanks to the support of the 3.3. A Ukrainian Perspective on the EU-Russia Relationship .......177 Bratislava-based offi ce of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (Iryna Solonenko) 4. P R ...............................................................211 (Alexander Duleba) References ....................................................................................................219 ISBN 978-80-89356-10-2 About the Authors ......................................................................................225 Foreword This publication is an outcome of the research project en- titled Regional Strategic Framework for the European Union’s Eastern Policy: Toward a Convergence of the Eastern Dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy and Common Spaces with Russia. The project is carried out by the Research Center of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (RC SFPA) with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The aim of the project is to search for a comprehensive regional strategy for the EU policy toward the region of Eastern Europe that would att empt to bridge the EU’s Eu- ropean Neighbourhood Policy in the region, i.e. the East- ern Partnership policy framework for EU relations with six post-Soviet countries (Armenia, Azerbaij an, Belarus, Geor- gia, Moldova and Ukraine) with the EU-Russia Common Spaces. The above two strategic frameworks represent the EU’s two diff erent and separate Eastern policy agendas or, in other words, parallel EU policies towards its East- ern neighbours. This research project aims to urge that the above parallelism does not serve the EU in the pursuit of its interests in Eastern Europe, and also that the EU does need to develop a single strategic framework for its Eastern pol- icy. The policy recommendations identify a way to evolve the concepts both of Common Spaces with Russia and the Eastern Partnership frameworks with the aim of achiev- ing the convergence eff ects of both EU policies. The project seeks to contribute to the EU’s ability to become a more ef- cient foreign policy player in the region as well as to im- prove its capacity to assist the Eastern European countries in their post-Soviet modernization. This publication is a follow-up to the policy paper en- titled The Reform of the European Neighborhood Policy. Tools, Institutions and a Regional Dimension (Bratislava: Research Center of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association, 2008). The paper has scrutinized the Eastern dimension of the EU’s 7 European Neighbourhood Policy, including its recently up- graded version in the form of Eastern Partnership, search- 1. EU-R R: ing for convergence eff ects with the Common Spaces with S A Russia. This publication off ers a complementary analysis, as it primarily focuses on EU relations with Russia and also By Alexander Duleba seeks convergence eff ects with Eastern Partnership. The authors of parts 1, 2, and 4 of the publication are research fellows of RC SFPA. Alexander Duleba evaluates EU-Russia relations have been experiencing several up and the present state of aff airs in EU – Russia relations (part 1) down periods over the last two decades. However, they and sums up policy recommendations (part 4). Vladimír have never been at such a low ebb as they are today. The Benč presents lessons learned from the experience of the momentum was lost in 2007, a good while before the Rus- EU-Russia Common Economic Space (part 2.1.). Vladimír sia-Georgia military con ict in August 2008 and the Russia- Bilčík analyses EU-Russia cooperation within the Common Ukraine gas dispute in January 2009. Space on Freedom, Security and Justice (part 2.2.). Lucia The terms that could most eloquently characterize present- Najšlová accounts for outcomes of EU-Russia interaction day relations between the EU and Russia are a “quandary” The terms that within the Common Space on External Security (part 2.3.), and “helplessness”. Talks on a new bilateral agreement go could most and Zuzana Lisoňová looks over EU-Russia cooperation slowly, since both sides pursue diff erent visions of what it eloquently within the Common Space on Research, Education and should be about. If one looks at the actual priority agendas characterize Culture (part 2.4.). of Russia and the EU, especially in the eld of external rela- present-day Part 3 of this publication consists of research contribu- tions, one can conclude that both sides came to the point of relations between tions by external experts. Andrei Zagorski from the Centre giving up on their relationship. Russia expects from the EU the EU and Russia for War and Peace Studies at the Moscow State Institute of what it cannot deliver, e.g. to take over the role of NATO are a “quandary” International Relations explores Russia’s strategic approach and/or the OSCE in European security, whereas the EU of- and “helplessness”. toward its relations with the EU (part 3.1.). Elena Klitsou- fers Russia what it is ready neither to accept nor to absorb, nova from the Centre for International and Regional Policy e.g. modernization in line with European acquis. In addi- (St. Petersburg) analyses Russia’s perspective on coopera- tion, the global nancial and economic crisis has narrowed tion with the EU under the Common Spaces structure (part the bilateral agenda of EU-Russia relations by moving an 3.2.). And nally, Iryna Solonenko, the director for Europe- important part of it lying especially in the eld of nancial an Programmes of the International Renaissance Founda- and economic cooperation, to multilateral international fo- tion (Kyiv) presents a Ukrainian perspective on EU-Russia rums, e.g. G-20. Finally, both sides lost a shared vision and/ relations (part 3.3.). or understanding of a common sense of their long-term co- operation as well as a belief that they are partners who are instrumental to each other in achieving their actual priori- ties. The paradox is that one could paint a completely diff er- ent picture even a couple of years ago. In May 2003 the EU and Russia agreed on a new struc- tured format of cooperation within four Common Spaces: 8 9 the Common Economic Space, the Common Space of Free- neither its Western nor its Eastern part - and Russia does dom, Security and Justice, the Common Space on External play a key role in the latt er part - is immune to the oth- Security, and the Common Space on Research, Education er. On the contrary, developments in Eastern Europe have and Culture. In May 2005 both sides negotiated a package had a profound impact on the developments in its West- of road maps to implement the Common Spaces. Thanks ern part and/or the formation of what is today the Euro- to the complex character of the Common Spaces structure pean Union. Russia became a unique partner for the EU in terms of the level of institutionalization of EU relations with an external actor. The institutionalized dialogue under the umbrella of Disintegration o te East versus Integration Common Spaces allowed for the most intense dialogue the o te West EU has ever had in the history of its external relations with First of all, the disintegration of Eastern Europe aft er the col- any third actor. The intensity and scope of EU-Russia dia- lapse of the communist bloc helped to push the members of logue has become more impressive than the EU dialogue the European Communities (EC) to deepen the integration with its transatlantic ally the U.S. At that time it looked like process in the Western part of Europe and to transform the both sides had found a shared strategic vision of Europe Communities into the Union (The Maastricht Treaty, 1992). as a “Common EU-Russia Space”, a vision, which many Second, it pushed the EC/EU to take over responsibili- on both sides believed to be a European project for the 21st ty for providing stability and prosperity to the rest of the Century that is worth working together for. continent. The successful model of integration of Greece, The period of 2003-2006 was a “good times” one of those Spain and Portugal in the 1980s, all of which were econom- in modern EU-Russia relations since the collapse of the ically relatively poor countries with authoritarian regimes Soviet Union in 1991. Even though both sides shared di- at the time of their EC accession, had pressed the EU to verging evaluations of “colour” revolutions, especially in open the prospect of enlargement to the former commu- Ukraine and Georgia, they launched wide-ranging struc- nist countries also (Copenhagen summit, 1993).
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