The Vilnius Summit: Brussels versus Moscow?
On 28 and 29 November, in the framework of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU, a special EU summit will be hosted in Vilnius with the Eastern Partners Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Belarus. The EU hopes to sign the Association and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements with Ukraine and to initial these agreements with Moldova and Georgia.
The implementation of the agreements will have far reaching consequences for the economies of the countries concerned, but the debate so far has concentrated on the political aspects. Binding the Eastern Partnership countries closer to the EU will make them more independent from Russia. In reaction, Russia has set up a customs union with Belarus and Kazakhstan and is establishing a Eurasian Union. It is putting considerable pressure on Ukraine and Moldova to join these initiatives. Armenia recently gave in to Moscow’s demands and announced membership of the Eurasian Union. Georgia still is and remains in the EU camp.
One could argue that the political future of Eastern Europe will be at stake in Vilnius. Will the EU be able to stave off the competition of Russia? Will it in the end prove to be the more attractive partner? And what can the EU do to make sure that the Eastern Partners, that sign up to the EU, will continue to orient themselves towards Brussels? These and other questions will be discussed in this high level expert seminar, a joint initiative of the Clingendael Institute and the Georgian Embassy in The Hague.
