With its Eastern Partnership the EU is hoping to make a contribution to the stability and security of its eastern neighbourhood. However, the strategic ambivalence of the EU’s eastern policy remains unchanged. On the one hand it is trying to draw the countries of eastern Europe towards the EU. On the other hand, by refusing to hold out the prospect of accession, Brussels is failing
to fulfil local expectations. Moreover, the extent to which the EU should take into consideration the interests of Russia is still an unanswered question.

At the 144th Bergedorf Round Table in Kiev, which was chaired by former German President
Richard von Weizsäcker, politicians, diplomats and experts from the EU, its eastern neighbourhood and the US talked about the prospects for the region and the available political options. The debate concentrated on the aims of the EU and the expectations of Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova. In which areas should both sides cooperate more closely, even if accession is not an option today, and to what extent can the EU deepen its relations with countries such as Belarus and Ukraine without provoking a rift with Moscow? And how can security and stability be guaranteed in Europe’s East?

Contents
– The EU’s Eastern Neighbours (Identity and Challenges)
– Cooperation with the EU
– Energy
– Security