Development Perspectives of the EU Foreign Trade Policy towards the Eastern Partnership Countries in the Context of Relations with Russia

Eastern Partnership (EaP) is a relatively new initiative within the European Neighbourhood Policy. The EU assists the EaP partner countries in their economic and political reforms and offers them better access to the EU internal market and economic integration in form of the deep and comprehensive free trade agreements, parts of the Association Agreements. However, the EU trade policy priorities towards the EaP are threatened by Russia´s ambitions to deepen integration in the Eurasian space. Further development of the EU trade policy and the position of Russia will be affected by the outcomes of the third EaP Summit in November 2013 and by the subsequent revolutionary events in Ukraine. The aim of this paper is to highlight the objectives of the EU foreign trade policy towards the EaP, to evaluate the prospects of creating a free trade zone between the EU and EaP countries in the context of Eurasian integration ambitions and mutual cooperation with Russia.