... integrating South Slav area after First world war in arrangement of united kingdom of three ethnicities (Serbs, Croats and Slovenians) and after Second world war federal republic of six (three more added - Macedonian, Montenegrin and latter on Bosniak). European Union holds parts of former Yugoslavia as its inner backyard. Italy as a founding member from 1952, Greece in 1981, Austria 1995, Hungary 2004, Romania and Bulgaria 2007 step by step surrounded the area. Slovenia was a republic in Yugoslavia ...
- Опубликовано:
- 16.11.2013 01:34:00
... Bulgaria (2012).
In the 21st century, a key task of transatlantic cooperation is to protect the critical functions of our deeply interconnected societies. It is about time to call for a strategy of transatlantic resilience. The United States and the European Union member states must work together to ensure that the basic structures and critical functions of our interconnected societies remain strong and can go on even in the face of natural or man-man disasters. Such a strategy must involve several ...
- Опубликовано:
- 14.10.2013 20:50:00
... invasion of the Italian island of Lampedusa (not to mention similar events on the Greek islands) which lies about 75 miles off the Tunisian coast, by waves of Tunisian seeking entry into Europe has helped jolt the perennially non-committal, dilly-dallying European Union into turning its gaze onto the threat. Italy, an EU member state, decided to give the arriving illegal Tunisian immigrants travel papers and an exit into what they perceive as greener pastures across the border into France. Within days,...
- Опубликовано:
- 19.09.2013 14:28:00
Last week, heaps of Ukrainian goods got stuck at the Russo-Ukrainian border, following the Kremlin's issuance of a "Marry me or else" ultimatum to Kiev — in case the latter finalizes its association agreement with the European Union. Unequivocal in its intent, Russia has been pressurizing Ukraine into opting for Eurasian integration in lieu of forging closer ties with Europe. And while the two Slavic countries widely benefit from trade and cultural ties between each ...
- Опубликовано:
- 26.08.2013 16:00:00
... incoherent - 21st century European nationalism) is weak not only because the principles referred to have been ratified by national parliaments and signed by heads of state. It is also ignorant to deny the inherent political nature of the post-Lisbon European Union and that therefore the state of democracy in a member state affects the state of democracy in the Union as a whole.
There is in fact little debate about this. It’s clear: an authoritarian leader of a member state has a vote in the ...
- Опубликовано:
- 19.07.2013 03:58:00
RIAC Program Director Ivan Timofeev delivered a report at a workshop on Russia's role in the Euro-Atlantic security held by the City Council of Turku, Finland, and sponsored by the Alexander Institute of the University of Helsinki and the Atlantic Council of Finland. The main points of Dr. Timofeev's presentation are as follows. The issue of Russia's belonging to the Euro-Atlantic security architecture has been discussed at all levels for over 20 years. In fact, most are confident that Russia has...
- Опубликовано:
- 25.06.2013 14:34:00
There is a claim currently circulating the EU, both cynical and misleading: ‘multiculturalism is dead in Europe’. No wonder, as the conglomerate of nation-states/EU has silently handed over one of its most important debates – that of European identity – to the wing-parties, recently followed by the several selective and contra-productive foreign policy actions. The Gulf OPEC states and Libya have –by far– the lowest costs of oil extraction thanks to the high crude...
- Опубликовано:
- 24.05.2013 15:38:00
... prestige on this agreement, worked on it for a year, and she won.
Yet the two leaders are speculated to be possible Nobel Peace Prize candidates, not Lady Ashton. Because, while her efforts deserve acclaim, we must not forget about her leverage: the European Union, already a Peace Prize laureate. Given the two countries’ socio-economic difficulties, Mrs Ashton’s greatest lure was evidently the prospect of EU membership.
Moralising about the lessons learnt in the New York Times, Lady ...
- Опубликовано:
- 16.05.2013 15:29:00
Since its landslide victory at the general elections in 2010, Hungary’s governing Fidesz party and its leader, Viktor Orbán, have been pursuing an ‘opening to the East’. Behind this should lie a reasonable rapprochement with Russia and the resource-rich countries of the Caucasus and the Arab Peninsula. But petty political goals seem to play a more important role. The policy’s successes have been marginal, while its long-term cost looks frightening
Given Hungary’s...
- Опубликовано:
- 22.04.2013 20:08:00
... Tüür, do you see a certain level of dissent from the pro-EU mainstream in Estonia?
Well, there are two fundamental aspects to this question: first, are Estonians unhappy about something, second, is that because of our membership in the European Union? Of course, there are troubles. High youth unemployment, brain drain – primarily into Finland and Sweden – make for a degree of public despair. But is this despair connected to the EU? Well, yes and no. On the one hand, one ...
- Опубликовано:
- 04.04.2013 14:22:00
... declare the Customs Union to be in direct competition with the EU, but he seemed impressed with the pace and straightforwardness of the negotiation process. He assured everyone that business sees the advantages of Eurasian integration.
Hardly so the European Union, you might think. But in an air of gentlemanship and diplomacy, both European Parliament representatives, Libor Rouček from the Socialists and Democrats and Rachida Dati from the European People’s Party articulated the EU’s ...
- Опубликовано:
- 01.04.2013 02:16:00
... destructive potential, Mr Barroso vigorously attacked sceptics in his closing remarks; he argued that the euro was not the inducer but the victim of a crisis that has, regrettably but reversibly, slowed down the integration process. But, he said, the European Union is more robust than it is 'fashionable' to admit, and will be a lot stronger in twenty years' time, to which date he solicited the organisers to invite him to an event of the like. If in a less poetic manner, but ...
- Опубликовано:
- 01.04.2013 02:00:00
... Customs Union. [2]
Losing hurts more than not receiving
“It is a political choice of Ukraine and we will respect any choice,” [3] said Vladimir Putin before the meeting. But can Russia afford such development? What would association with the European Union cause to Ukraine-Russia relations? Unfortunately, it would bring disassociation. What would conclusion of DCFTA bring? I will argue that it will counter Russian objective to establish strong regional free trade community. To solve the riddle ...
- Опубликовано:
- 20.03.2013 13:40:00
... Brussels’ policies, deeper, not further integration would be necessary - and it seems the Union can only focus on one of those at a time.
More importantly, although the author of this blog believes that the sovereign debt crisis will eventually leave the European Union more integrated, stronger, and growing, the crisis' current deterrent effect cannot be disputed. If the Eastern Partners are to choose between the EU and the Russian efforts to re-integrate the post-Soviet space, the latter might ...
- Опубликовано:
- 14.03.2013 05:38:00
... that the country ‘Europeanises’ its legal and political frameworks first, that is, makes the adjustments that the Union deems necessary to make them comply with its core values.
But Ukraine seems to be a rather troublesome partner for the European Union. As an editor of the paper Zerkolo Nedeli told the Economist, '[the country’s] favourite sport has long been promising everything and doing nothing'.
True, it seems that what European officials labelled as Mr Yanukovych's ...
- Опубликовано:
- 05.03.2013 18:08:00
The Eastern Partnership is rather fresh policy of the European Union to structure and improve political and economic relations with six post-Soviet states: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. All of these states are in the closest vicinity of the Russian Federation. What were its ...
- Опубликовано:
- 01.03.2013 10:52:00
... whether the seed potato ban is being used to put pressure on European authorities to provide the necessary qualifications for the products in question, or is designed “to give an equivalent response to some actions taken by the West”.
The European Union – whilst publishing material on its official websites in support of the quality of its SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) regulations and emphasizing the efforts that have been made to harmonise these with CU norms – is exasperated,...
- Опубликовано:
- 28.02.2013 13:12:00
Ukraine’s foreign policy towards its Eastern and Western neighbours could ultimately lead to broader international consequences that one would expect. Its decision to sign the Association agreement with the European Union or joining the Customs Union with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, might take the story of one of the sides much deeper than to wider economic cooperation, trade or visa liberalization. European Ukraine Approach of the European Union can ...
- Опубликовано:
- 15.02.2013 13:13:00
