Bridging A (Mis)Perceptional Gap: The EU’s Eastern Partnership and Russian Policies in the Trans-Caucasus

Yıl 2013, Cilt: 5 Sayı: 8, 17 - 36, 01.06.2013

Alexander Sergunin

Öz

The launch of the EU’s Eastern Partnership in 2009 has puzzled both Russian decision-makers and experts. To the date they cannot arrive to any specific conclusion: whether this project is another geopolitical challenge to Russia’s domination in the post-Soviet space or a potential platform for cooperation both with the EU and countries of the region? The author believes that regardless numerous misunderstandings and misperceptions there is a ‘window of opportunity’ for the EU, Russia and Trans-Caucasian countries to develop a joint cooperative strategy.

Anahtar Kelimeler

European Union, Eastern Partnership, Russia, “soft” power

AB’nin Doğu Ortaklığı Projesi ve Rusya’nın Güney Kafkasya Politikaları: Ortak Bir Algı Geliştirmek

Öz

Avrupa Birliği’nin 2009 yılında Doğu Ortaklığı Programını devreye sokması Rus uzman ve karar mercilerinin kafasını ciddi anlamda karıştırmıştır. Zira Rus karar mercileri söz konusu programın Sovyetler Birliği’nin dağılmasıyla boşalan sahada Rusya’nın hâkimiyet kurmasına sorun teşkil edip etmeyeceği veya AB ile bölge ülkeleri arasında bir işbirliği platformu oluşturup oluşturamayacağı konusunda hala somut bir sonuca ulaşamamıştır. Konu ile ilgili birçok yanlış anlaşılma ve algılamaya rağmen yazar, Avrupa Birliği, Rusya ve Güney Kafkasya ülkeleri arasında ortak bir işbirliği stratejisinin geliştirilmesi için bir fırsat aralığı oluştuğuna inanmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Avrupa Birliği, Doğu Ortaklığı, Rusya, “yumuşak” güç

Kaynakça

• Chernenko, Y. “Prikhod missii” [The mission is found]. Kommersant, December 14, 2012, (Accessed February 13, 2013), http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/2089373 (in Russian).
• Council conclusions on the Eastern Partnership. 3222nd Foreign Affairs Council meeting, Brussels, 18 February 2013, (Accessed February 19, 2013), http://www. consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/135513.pdf.
• Eastern Partnership (Warsaw: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Po- land, 2011), (Accessed October 3, 2011). http://www.petersburgkg.polemb.net/ files/partnerstwo%20wschodnie/smoll-angru.pdf.
• “Eastern Partnership: A Roadmap to the autumn 2013 Summit.” Joint Com- munication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, Brussels, 15.5.2012,
• (Accessed February 19, 2013), http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/docs/2012_enp_ pack/e_pship_roadmap_en.pdf.
• Ernst and Young. Rapid-growth markets soft power index. Spring 2012.
• “Joint Declaration of the Prague Eastern Partnership Summit.” 7 May 2009,
• Prague, (Accessed May 11, 2009), http://www.consilium. europa.eu/uedocs/cms_ data/docs/pressdata/en/er/10758.pdf.
• Kosachev, K. “The Specifics of Russian Soft Power.” Russia in Global Affairs, October 7, 2012, (Accessed February 14, 2013), http://eng.globalaffairs.ru/num- ber/The-Specifics-of-Russian-Soft-Power-15683.
• Malkov, D. “Vostochnoe partnerstvo” kak zerkalo evropeiskikh ozhi- daniy sosedei RF [The Eastern Partnership as a mirror of European expecta- tions of Russia’s neighbors], (Accessed May 25, 2009), http://www.rian.ru/ world/20090508/170439144.html (in Russian).
• Minzarari, D. “Soft Power with an Iron Fist: Putin Administration to Change the Face of Russia’s Foreign Policy Toward Its Neighbours.” Eurasia Daily Monitor, September 10, 2012, Vol. 9, No. 163, (Accessed 12 February 2013), http://www. jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=39821
• Nye, J. Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics, (New York: Public Affairs, 2004).
• Putin, V. “Ukaz Prezidenta RF ot 7 Maya 2012” No. 605, “O merakh po realizat- sii vneshnepoliticheskogo kursa Rossiyskoi Federatsii” [Decree of the President of the RF, 7 May 2012, No. 605, “On the measures on the implementation of the Russian Federation’s foreign policy course”], (Accessed February 14, 2013), http://text.document.kremlin.ru/SESSION/PILOT/main.htm (in Russian).
• Putin, V. “Vystuplenie na soveschanii poslov i postoyannykh predstavitelei Rossii”, 9 Iulya 2012 [Speech at the meeting of Russian ambassadors and perma- nent representatives, July 9, 2012], (Accessed February 12, 2013), http://www. kremlin.ru/news/15902 (in Russian).
• Putin V. The Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation. Approved by the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin on 12 February 2013. (Accessed on March 3, 2013), http://www.mid.ru/bdomp/Brp_4.nsf/arh/6D84DDEDEDBF7 DA644257B160051BF7F?OpenDocument
• Sergunin, A. “Towards an EU-Russia Common Space on External Security: Pros- pects for Cooperation”, Research Journal of International Studies. (2012). No. 24, 18-34.Sergunin, A. “T owards a Pan-European Security System? Notions on the Russian Draft of the European Security Treaty.” Freedom, Security, Justice - Common Interests in the Baltic Sea Region, (Helsinki: STETE, 2010), 33-40.
• Shenin, S.Y. Mifologiya “Belogo Potoka.” [Mythology of the “White Stream”] (Saratov: Center for Cooperation with CIS and Baltic countries, Saratov State University, 2008), (Accessed May 24, 2009), http://cis-center.ru/ (in Russian).
• “Soveschanie rukovoditelei predstavitel’stv Rossotrudnichestva za rubezhom.” 2012 [The meeting of the heads of the Rossotrudnichestvo’s representative of- fices abroad, 2012]. (Accessed February 14, 2013), http://www.government.ru/ stens/20531/.
• Tarasov, S. “Vostochnoe partnerstvo” – lovushka dlyz Azerbaijana [The Eastern Partnership – a trap for Azerbaijan], (Accessed May 25, 2009), www.regnum.ru/ news/1166539.html.
• Troitski, M. Russian soft power in the European Union. Conference on “Russian Soft Power: Perspectives and Prospects.” Center for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding, Warsaw, December 20, 2011.