Associated Press Worldstream
March 20, 2009 Friday 12:31 PM GMT

EU leaders reach out to ex-Soviet neighbors

By ROBERT WIELAARD, Associated Press Writer

European Union leaders on Friday are expected to promise a hefty
program of aid, trade and closer political ties for six ex-Soviet
states where Moscow retains a strong influence nearly two decades
after they won their independence.

The EU’s "Eastern Partnership" falls short of membership for Ukraine,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Moldova and Belarus but offers
significant economic integration and visa-free travel. Moscow views
such attempts at closer integration with suspicion.

The program seeks to tie the neighbors to the EU’s democratic and free
market values and reflects the bloc’s concerns that continued Russian
influence there creates instability on the bloc’s doorstep.

Last August Russia angered NATO and the EU by invading Georgia and
recognizing the independence of two breakaway regions.

In January, relations soured further when Moscow failed to meet gas
supply contracts to Western Europe because of a dispute with Ukraine
over transit fees.

The program is to help increase the number of routes bringing oil and
gas to the EU from areas around the Black Sea that are not under
Russian control.

The EU leaders planned to conclude a two-day summit with a statement
that does not mention Russia but insists the promotion of "stability,
good governance and economic development in (the EU’s) eastern
neighborhood is of strategic importance."

A draft of the statement said the program will bring lasting benefits
to the former Soviet republics, which in turn will benefit the EU.

The EU, however, faces a huge task to bring everyone together for the
expected formal launch of the program at a May 7 gathering in Prague
of the 27 EU leaders and their counterparts from the six countries.

The partnership is open to Belarus but its authoritarian president,
Alexander Lukashenko, is close to Moscow and runs a Soviet-style
economy. The EU has prevented him from traveling within the bloc but
suspended the ban to enable him to come to Prague.

EU officials say the partnership and aid is only open to six countries
if they embrace the rule of law, protection of human rights and market
economy rules.

If so, the EU will offer later this year tailor-made free trade,
economic assistance, regular security and defense consultations and
better energy supply agreements.

The EU has budgeted euro1.4 billion ($1.8 billion) for the program
between now and 2013. After the Russian-Georgian war in August and the
cutoff of Russian gas through Ukraine euro600 million ($769 million)
in funding was added.

The reaction has been lukewarm to date.

At a pre-summit conference, Radek Sikorski, the foreign minister of
Poland which joined the EU in 2004 said the EU must be more generous,
adding the recent funding increase came down to only $20 million per
eastern neighbor per year.

Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Hryhoriy Nemyrya said, "I am afraid
significant resources are required."

The partnership came about after French President Nicolas Sarkozy in
2008 pushed for a Mediterranean Union linking the EU to Israel and its
Arab neighbors.

That was watered down because of objections in Germany and because
other countries said it was more crucial to reach out to eastern
neighbors.