THE EUROPEAN UNION EASTERN NEIGHBOURHOOD: BELARUS, MOLDOVA AND UKRAINE

Next to the Mediterranean region, Eastern Europe is set as one of the most important areas for the implementation of various EU policies. European Union enlargement policy, European Neighbourhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership are the most important instruments that ensure the construction of a democratic order in the European neighborhood. It is clear that the ultimate goal of EU policy towards its neighbors is to achieve security and stability. The aim of this paper is to point out that the European Union since the breakup of the Soviet Union, with various policies and instruments, is constantly present in the region of Eastern Europe. Emphasis is placed on measures and policies by which the European Union maintains its position in an attempt to stabilize the Eastern neighborhood. The paper will first define the region of Eastern Europe, and then provide a review of bilateral relations between the European Union and the Eastern European countries that participate in the Eastern Partnership (Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine). Analysis of bilateral relations tries to point out to what extent and in what way the European Union is present in the region of Eastern Europe and what are the main goals of the European Union in relation to the said countries. In the last part, the author gives the concluding remarks.