PanARMENIAN.Net

Eastern Partnership initiative not fully clear to Russia yet
16.01.2009 18:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia doesn’t eye the Eastern Partnership as a
transparent project, RF Duma member said.

`If the matter concerns economic and humanitarian cooperation between
the EU and six former soviet states, no problem will emerge. However,
the European Union should not use the project as a tool to
artificially separate the friendly countries from Russia,’ Konstantin
Kosachev, chairman of Duma committee on international relations, told
a news conference on Thursday.

Eastern Partnership project aimed at establishment of closer ties with
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Ukraine and also Belarus, if it accepts
the democracy improvement plan.

It offers countries better trade access, economic assistance and visa
liberalization as they adapt to EU standards.