The leaders of 27 countries of the EU adopted the Eastern Partnership project during the summit in Brussels on March 20, according to which Europe will develop closer strategic cooperation with six post-soviet countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus.
About a month ago the Armenian media published this information but the society seemed not to be so interested in it. There are several reasons why the society was not interested in this information. First, the Armenian society is focused on inner processes (including the most active part of the society) and we are not interested in external processes so much. Second, there is lack of information in our country. It is not a secret that even many officials don’t know the difference between the Euro Union and Council of Europe. Many people even don’t know anything about the recent developments, European Institutions, cooperation with them and the opportunities provided by such cooperation. However if there was information that hence the Armenian citizens can easily get a visa to European countries and go there to work, everyone would spread this information and the society would be really interested in it. Indeed the Eastern partnership project may give us such opportunity in the future…
First steps
The relations between the EU and Armenia and have passed through several phases. The agreement on cooperation and partnership between Armenia and EU was adopted in 1999. The mentioned agreement was aimed at supporting democracy, rule of law and improvement of human rights situation in Armenia, as well as economic reforms and economy liberalization. Later the EU launched the European Neighborhood policy project aimed at developing partnership with 17 countries (including Middle East and African countries as well). Action plan agreements were signed with each of the mentioned countries. The action plan agreement with Armenia was adopted in November 2006. Since this time the EU has been providing Armenia with material and technical support in the economic, legal, educational, social and other fields.
Eastern partnership project
As mentioned above Europe has suggested Armenia to become a partner from being a neighbor. The Eastern Partnership Project envisages a closer cooperation and the scope of such cooperation is narrower too. In other words we may say that it is for countries, which may become EU members in the future (to note, Poland, which was one of the countries drafting this project, is a new member of the EU too). Certainly it may not happen in the near future. The proof of this opportunity is the announcement of the head of the EU European Neighborhood Policy department John O Rurke, according to which the Eastern Partnership initiative is not an exit door for entering the EU. The Brussels summit statement writes that the countries involved in the project have “strategic significance” to the EU. The EU intends to support stability and development in these countries and reach a higher level of development, as well as economic and political integration with these countries. In the near future association agreements will be signed with the partnership countries, which will establish the main principles and mechanisms of cooperation. Europe expects from these countries to make reforms in the sectors of democracy and market economy against their policy of support. All countries welcomed this initiative, Russia did too. What is the benefit of Europe from developing partnership with the countries with transition economies and where the democratic state is not mature yet? According to Karl Swartzenberg, foreign minister of the incumbent EU presiding country Czech Republic, these countries are going to be good partners. “This is a victory not for the interested countries only, but the European Union as well,” he said. According to Russia, with this initiative Europe wants to weaken its influence in the region and launch a cooperation of so-called “European independent countries”.
Armenia in a partner’s status
Armenia and the other mentioned countries have already accepted the EU’s suggestion. What will we benefit? It seems that the answer is simple. As we specified above, Armenia will have privileged visa regime conditions, as well as easier opportunities to export labor and products to European countries. Almost all media companies of Armenia have informed about the resolution made on March 20 in Brussels and specified that the EU intends to increase the support provided to the six partner countries up to 600 million Euros. It shows that our country has a specific tradition of viewing everything through the prism of material benefits. However the benefits to be provided as a result of the partnership project in a long-term period are more important than the mentioned material benefit. The EU partnership project has defined a number of provisions, which are first of all good for our country. Such benefits are strengthening of democracy and economic relations. Certainly this potential success and development mostly depends on our policy because everything may be failed if we make mere demonstrative and artificial steps. This looks like parents promising their child to buy a bicycle if the child closes the year with excellent marks. At that time the child is first of all interested in having a new bicycle but in several years he will need and use the knowledge he got to have that bicycle but not the bicycle itself. The project will officially start on May 7 and in the near future we will see what is more important – the short-term material support or the prospective development of the country.
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