FORMATION AND TRANSFORMATION OF EUROPEAN FOREIGN APPROACH TO BUILDING RELATIONS WITH POST-SOVIET COUNTRIES

Abstract

The article presents an analyses of Eastern direction of external policy of European Union. The background of formation of common European external policy concerning post-soviet states is outlined as well as core countries that influenced the formation process most of all and their degree of involvement in this process are marked out. Some direct and indirect factors that have an impact on the formation of external policy of European Union in indicated direction are presented and grouped. A wide range of instruments used by EU during the process of establishment and development of European eastern policy is characterized. The variant of periodization is proposed and the long-term consistency of the process is estimated. In particular, the author comes to conclusion that it is impossible to develop further relations between European Union and post-soviet states in frames of existing external political programs and instruments. It is critical to improve the actual eastern policy routing or to conceive a new one that would satisfy the modern world politics demands.