Research Papers

Eastern neighbourhood is a real challenge for the European foreign policy, as well as for its intern legitimacy and modus Vivendi. The EU is in search of its identity, of common denominator that European actors could transpose into external action. The problem of the effectiveness of European pillar values, the conflict between pragmatic consideration and moral values is visible through complex relationship between the EU and its eastern neighbours. IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN THIS PARTICULAR CONFIGURATION, I will consider the Belarusian exception in the context of EU RUSSIA BELARUS triangle. Russia is an inevitable and strategic neighbour and a specific partner for the EU, because of multiple factors concerning political, social and energetic security of the European continent. Belarus is a particularly difficult and inflexible neighbour, which compromises human rights respect, pluralism, democracy and other European values and principles. Is the last country of the hole European continent, which is not member o the Council of Europe and ECHR. The reasons of this exception to the general European rules are multiple. One of the explanations is the particularity of Belarusian historical and political choice, but from the other hand, the European Union reaction towards to Belarusian particularity doesn’t contribute to the improvement of the situation, the isolation of Belarus is counterproductive. Restrictive measures deployed by the European Union in reply to Belarusian political “specificities” don’t persuade the Belarusian authorities to change political course. The result of “cold confrontation” is the deterioration of relationship.