Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours

Cutting-edge analysis of and opinions on political and socio-economic currents in Eastern Partnership countries 🇦🇲🇦🇿🇧🇾🇬🇪🇲🇩🇺🇦. Admin: @GGigitashvili_

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

Gazprom PJSC will export natural gas to #Armenia via Azerbaijan for the first time in almost three decades as the former Soviet neighbors work to reopen communication links following last year’s war. https://t.co/TSIC0tSAjU

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

#Belarus - Russia’s association with Lukashenko’s crackdown may persuade Belarusians that it is impossible to be a pro-Russian democrat: that one can only be one or the other. https://t.co/4yqXp4dDE9

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

While the COVID battle is being fought in the hit-and-miss mode, ruining anti-corruption institutions by the team in power and its satellites was quite successful.

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

#Ukraine - The hottest issues in Ukrainian society last year were fighting COVID-19 and attacking corruption infrastructure, with its partial levelling present sometimes. https://t.co/MaM0qek3lU

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

#Moldova - Beyond the international sympathy and support addressed toward Sandu, there is a lot to do so as to bring Moldova back to the rule of law , recover trust of its strategic partners, and to come up with a pandemic recovery plan. https://t.co/Mb6Mr8DjZB

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

#Georgia - Contradictory arrangements like the freedom of religion and equality, on the one hand, and the privileged status of the Orthodox Church, on the other, may further marginalise religious minorities and stoke tensions in Georgian society. https://t.co/3ECdbnZWIx

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

Proposals for interim or ad hoc, unelected, apolitical governments to replace a popularly elected one arguably work against both of these measures.

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

#Armenia - The ability to institutionalize and legitimate the democratic project is essential for consolidating a democratic breakthrough. https://t.co/3cAPKmPXar

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

#Ukraine - Tehran said it will pay $150,000 to the family of each victim, but Ukraine said it expects more, including a thorough investigation. https://t.co/xgDwg20rCG

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

#Armenia - Facebook banned Holocaust denial from its platform in October. Anti-hate groups now want the social media giant to block posts denying the Armenian genocide. https://t.co/MuiTTYwFPg

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

#Belarus - regime brutality is fueling a national awakening and helping to create a new Belarus. By seeking to subjugate his own population, Lukashenka is unwittingly pushing the Belarusian people away from the Soviet past and towards a European future. https://t.co/nBJzZA5V0q

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

#Ukraine - The United States needs to be frank with Ukraine and make clear that there are real consequences if Ukraine doesn’t commit to finally combating oligarchs and systemic corruption. https://t.co/NwxaGvd1dV

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

#Belarus - there are at least three scenarios in which the EU and Russia won’t be able to keep their differences over Belarus from escalating from the current moderate competition into an open geopolitical crisis like that seen in Ukraine. https://t.co/dgg0vGOmSS

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

The search for alternative forms of representation and power reflects a growing conviction that traditional models of electoral democracy are no longer a winning example of citizen empowerment.

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

In post-Soviet Eurasia, most elections have negatively impacted democratic impulses. Between 2018-2020, Armenia and Belarus showed us change comes not from elections, but from protests against them. https://t.co/FqR51RwE5C

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

Amending Article 6 to state that Russian-occupied regions would be temporarily excluded from the Article 5 security protection is a realistic, responsible, and reasonable way to admit Georgia into NATO.

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

#Georgia - Russia likely will not end its occupation of Georgian territory in the near future, so creativity regarding Georgia’s future NATO membership is necessary. https://t.co/Sd79AkfUOB

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

The #Moldovan political playground possesses one key characteristic. It cannot handle a vacuum when it comes to actors capable of protecting a corrupt system that acts according to Russia’s interests. https://t.co/cgq5K6lvqD

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

Negative economic consequences of the coronavirus outbreak for the Russian population have not translated to political discontent either.

[Notes from the EU's Eastern Neighbours @NotesEaP]

#Russia - direct encounters with the coronavirus do not lead to a significant decrease in political support and institutional trust in Russia. https://t.co/3U3eRjPyPG