New perspective: The Incomplete Policy

The reformed Eastern Partnership policy needs to combine two goals: to improve the economy and security of the Eastern European Six; and to find a non-confrontative approach for accommodating Russia rather than excluding it or not taking its interests into account.

• While the European Union (EU) wants to keep the Eastern Partnership (EaP) on hold, the need for strategic vision of its relations with Eastern European countries is more obvious than ever. The diverging concepts of integration and enlargement among the EU states weaken the conditionality instrument in the implementation of economic and political reforms in the East European Six countries.
• The intended aim of bolstering horizontal connections between the East European Six (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) from the early concept of the Eastern Partnership failed to materialize, therefore important stabilizing potential within the region was not achieved.
• It is not possible to build stronger resilience in the East European countries, especially in the case of Belarus and Armenia, without discussing and calculating their vital security challenges, which are connected in many ways with the Russian Federation.
• The diverse development paths of the East European Six should be supported within the framework of “Rings of Europe” that differ according to their state of integration. Instead of taking sides, the Eastern European Six should initiate a stability-promoting trialogue with the EU and Russia, in which above all regional security and economic growth issues could be discussed.