BERLIN/BRUSSELS (Own report) – At its summit, starting today, the EU is pushing ahead to integrate non-member countries into its global foreign and military policies. With the Association Agreements due to be signed at the summit, Georgia, Moldavia and Ukraine will have to gradually adapt themselves to the EU’s foreign and military policy. The association aims at enhancing the three countries’ participation “in EU-led civilian and military crisis management operations as well as relevant exercises and training activities.” Ukraine is already contributing soldiers to EU battle groups, while Georgia has contributed 140 soldiers to the EU’s Central African Republic intervention force. With its “Framework Participation Agreements” (FPA), the EU, for years, has been engaging numerous non-member countries – including Canada, Chile and South Korea – in its global policy operations. Resembling NATO’s “Partnership for Peace,” the FPA has not only the objective of attracting additional troops, but also of enhancing global acceptance of EU’s operations. However, as an EU think tank openly admits, Brussels requires a certain “degree of subordination,” from its cooperation partners.
EU-Association
With the signing of several association agreements at its summit that begins today, the EU is forging ahead with its integration of non-member countries into its global foreign and military policies, as is shown by the association agreements with Georgia, Moldavia and the Ukraine. Last March 21, Ukraine signed already the political section of the agreement.[1] Continue reading →
Global Geopolitics 