Cooperation between the EU and EaP States 10 Years Later: What Lies Ahead?: Page 2 of 7

that henceforth all the participants of the process will assess their capabilities more realistically, and the continuation of cooperation with partners – whatever form it takes – will yield more predictable results.

... Summing up the ten-year period of the relations between Armenia and the EU, one can record the country's openness for European integration initiatives, the ability of a certain part of its administration to work on strategic documents, which, however, does not deliver the expected results due to the excessive dependence on Russia in issues of cooperation with third parties, as well as due to a lack of political will in and skills for the practical solution of problems.

Ivlian Haindrava - ... Initially, it was stated that the EaP should not be viewed as preparation for EU membership (the so-called Membership Action Plan (MAP) plays a similar role in NATO), and some analysts even half-jokingly stated that the EaP is a program to prevent membership. To date, the EU has no more clarity on this issue, yet the division of the EaP members into two groups according to their plans and ambitions has become more vivid: Ukraine – Georgia – Moldova vs. Belarus – Azerbaijan. The answer I will provide to the naturally rising question “And where is Armenia?”  is as follows: she is in the first group with her soul, and in the second with her mind (as necessary, if you’d like it that way). And it is in this paradigm that one has to live and act, and the reasons for discontent, disappointment, and misunderstanding lie exactly on this ground. Discontent, by the way, is mutual: Brussels is dissatisfied with one thing, Chisinau and Yerevan – with another.

Arif Mammadov - Unfortunately, I do not share the optimism of my colleagues regarding Azerbaijan’s participation in this program. The incumbent leadership of Azerbaijan is trying to maintain the lowest, purely formal level of participation in this program, i.e. prefers the formula "less for less". Until today, Azerbaijan has not joined the World Trade Organization, and does not really display much desire to join. This is due to the fact that the entire economy of the country and the entire banking system are in the hands of the Aliyev family. They naturally do not want transparency. The authorities are trying to minimize the level of cooperation on human rights and democracy. Unfortunately, Azerbaijan is far behind Belarus in terms of democracy, not to mention the other members of the EaP.

On the Internal Resources of European Integration and the Functionality of the European Case in the Domestic Policies of EaP Countries

Ivlian Haindrava –  Among fundamental resources I will name the degree of the peoples’ self-identification with Europe, the desire to live in the European way, the desire and ability (of the people and the elite) to irreversibly bring their lifestyle (their mentality, attitude to work, and political culture) closer to the European one. The starting point is a priori worse for us in South Caucasus as compared with Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova (not to mention the Balts, who