Successful Conference about a Changing Eastern Neighbourhood

16th Transatlantic Roundtable in Kyiv

06.11.2007 · Improving Responsiveness

On 26-27 October 2007, the Center for Applied Policy Research, the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and the Heinrich Boell Foundation jointly held a Transatlantic Roundtable dealing with current developments and challenges in the Eastern European Neighbourhood. During the two-day conference taking place in Kyiv, 50 distinguished experts and high-level policymakers discussed the topic of "The Euro-Atlantic Community and its Changing Eastern Neighbourhood: A New Policy in the Making?"

Kristina Notz (C·A·P), Pavol Demes and Constanze Stelzenmüller (both German Marshall Fund of the United States)

In recent years the Eastern neighbourhood of the European and transatlantic community has received renewed and increased attention in international debate. The recent EU enlargement to Central and Eastern Europe has fundamentally redrawn the map of Europe and, as a result, of its Eastern neighbourhood. The Rose Revolution in Georgia and the Orange Revolution in Ukraine have reinvigorated hopes for democratic reform and Western integration of both countries. The European Union is struggling to determine policies and instruments to strengthen democracy, stability and security along its Eastern rim, a concern it shares with the United States. A major international player is Russia, with close historical, political, social and economic ties to all countries of the region, and with a growing assertiveness in the foreign policy arena. Adding to this complex set of actors and issues are the Eastern neighbourhood's placement as a major line for European energy supplies, frozen conflicts and Europe's last dictatorship in Belarus.

With this very successful Euro-Atlantic Roundtable the organizers aimed at providing for a discussion of domestic and international developments in this Eastern neighbourhood, the challenges facing the region and its Western partners, and appropriate policy responses, if not the contours of a "New Eastern Policy" in general. Discussions were held in four thematic sessions.

Hryhoriy Nemyria (Member of Parliament), Oleksandr Pavlyuk (OSCE), Kirk Mildner (KfW-Bankengruppe)

The conference kicked off with a close look at Ukraine's internal and external challenges four weeks after the parliamentary elections. Especially the challenges concerning the future of the Ukrainian constitution as well as of the economic sector were displayed and first priorities for the future of the Ukraine were set: An efficient government, a new constitution, fighting political corruption and investing in the recovery of competitive economy. Efforts have already been made to change the current system and bring forward the reforms. One of them is setting clear goals for the Ukranian government, bearing in mind that none of the governments has been successful in doing this so far.

Pirkka Tapiola, advisor of the EU's High Representative Javier Solana, pointed out that Ukraine's future was the key for the region's prosperity. There has been a feeling of "not nationality, but identity" during the last election campaign that cleared a way for further reforms. Therefore, it is up to Ukraine to decide what kind of constitution the country should have. Another important question is how the constitution will come into force. Beyond this, Ukrainian European policy should be domestic policy. The stabilization and implementation of the democratic processes in the Ukraine will conquer a high focus on the part of the Ukrainian government.

Pavol Demes (GMF Director Bratislava) and Ambassador Ian Boag (EU-Commission's Delegation to Ukraine)

During his dinner speech Ambassador Ian Boag, Head of the European Commission's Delegation to Ukraine and Belarus in Kyiv, spoke about the importance of the future developments in Europe's Eastern neighbourhood.

In the first session on the second day the challenges of democracy, stability and Western integration from the view of the European Eastern region were covered. The experts proved the leaders of the countries of Eastern and Central Europe to be the linchpin of the prospective Ukrainian integration. An overly personalised contemplation of policies carries a risk of disunity in important questions concerning the American and Russian impact in the region. Regional cooperation could be an opportunity and thus create coherence in questions how to deal with the EU, Russia and the U.S.

Under the chair of Kristina Notz of the C·A·P the third session dealt with the identification process of European and U.S. strategies towards Eastern European neighbours. Efforts have been made in the governance of the Eastern states as well as civil society processes supporting promising results for the region's prosperity. But the EU and the United States still have no common strategic approach on how to deal with essential issues concerning the regional policy. The absence of a regional energy strategy as well as of the transatlantic framework of integration with NATO and Russia in the line of action in dealing with the Eastern European states, points out the deficiency of a consensus in the Western states. Furthermore, the need for a EU-Russia policy became obvious. Finally, democracy promotion, energy security, foreign security and assistance of the black sea connection have been nominated as the four areas for the future working progress of Europe and the United States in the Eastern region.

Mikko Kinnunen (Finnish Foreign Ministry), Iris Kempe (C·A·P)

The last session, chaired by Pavol Demes, Director for Central and Eastern Europe at the German Marshall Fund of the U.S., outlined the contours of a new European Eastern Policy. The highlight of this panel was the speech of Dr Hryhoriy Nemyria, Member of the Ukrainian Parliament and foreign policy adviser of the future prime minister of Ukraine, Julia Tymoshenko. Nemyria illustrated the work process between the European Union and Ukraine during the last decade. In his regard Ukraine has always been a bridge between East and West. Major faults of the Ukrainian government in the past have been to miss a number of opportunities. But still, the Ukraine has the chance to establish itself as a priority venture in the European Union if the country manages to find its own way.

The Transatlantic Roundtable is part of the Program Improving Responsiveness at the C·A·P, which is kindly supported by the German Marshall Fund of the United States. The GMF is a non-partisan American public policy and grantmaking institution dedicated to promoting greater cooperation and understanding between the United States and Europe.

Downloads

Conference Program

List of Participants

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