BELORUSIAN MASS MEDIA: EASTERN PARTNERSHIP PROCEEDS FROM GUAM FORMAT

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
25.05.2009 16:09 GMT+04:00

"Eastern Partnership" program did not emerge all of a sudden; neither
was it elaborated in Stockholm or Warsaw summits. GUAM bears direct
relationship to "Eastern Partnership"; it’s the same format, with
Armenia and Belarus added as two new member states, afn.by news web
site reports. But there are a number of fundamental issues allowing us
to confirm that EU achieved geopolitical breakthrough on post-Soviet
area. Armenia and Azerbaijan appeared next to each other within Eastern
Partnership program. Before that, Baku and Yerevan were neighbors only
within CIS format. Besides, Belarus, Russia’s partner in Belarus-Russia
Union State and CSTO chairing country since June 2009, also joined the
project. Considering such transformations, Belarus media confirm that
"Eastern Partnership" produces negative impact on Russia’s interests
in western and southern parts of post-Soviet area.

Even though GUAM continues to exist, EU "Eastern Partnership" directly
proceeds from that format.

Having drawn certain conclusions, the West thoroughly elaborated
"Eastern Partnership" project, the "edited version" of GUAM, in
which political-military thematic is replaced by social-economic and
humanitarian objectives.

The project is closely tied to EU and indirectly tied to NATO. EU will
assume direct control over all processes and projects planned within
"Eastern Partnership" frameworks.

The moment requires special assessments. It should be noted
that despite being an EU project, "Eastern Partnership" is mainly
coordinated by Warsaw. Under EU aegis, Poland is actually extending
its own policy – economic influence on post-Soviet area, says an
article posted on a Belarusian Web site.