WHEN:

Tuesday 10th February 2015, 6.30pm-8.00pm

WHERE:

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Room, Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London SW1A 0AA

Speakers:

• David Bakradze, Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition,Georgia
• John Whittingdale MP, Chairman, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee and Chair, All Party Parliamentary Groups on Ukraine, Armenia and Moldova (Conservative)
• Dr Kataryna Wolczuk, Reader in Politics and International Studies, Centre for Russian, European and Eurasian Studies, University of Birmingham
• Edward Lucas, Energy, Commodities and Natural Resources editor, The Economist
• Adam Hug, Policy Director, Foreign Policy Centre

Chair:

Gemma Doyle MP, Shadow Defence Minister (Labour)

This launch event for the Trouble in the Neighbourhood? The future of the EU’s Eastern Partnership project, in partnership with the European Commission Representation in the UK, will take stock of recent developments in the EU’s relationship with the countries in its eastern neighbourhood: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Belarus and Ukraine. The issue of the EU’s role in the region and the influence of the Russian-led alternative the Eurasian Economic Union have been at the heart of a major geo-political upheaval. The decision by Ukraine’s then President Yanukovych to reject Eastern Partnership under pressure from Russia in the summer of 2013 lit the spark for the dramatic subsequent events in that country, while Armenia made a similar switch under Russian pressure ahead of the key November 2013 Vilnius summit. This seminar will look at the key planks of the EU’s approach to the region including the offers of Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements, visa liberalisation, funding for reform projects and political engagement.

The seminar will act as the London launch event for the new publication Trouble in the Neighbourhood? The future of the EU’s Eastern Partnership. Free copies will be available.

The seminar is free and open to all. Please RSVP to [email protected]

Information was taken from this website.