Trade and economic cooperation between the EU and post-Soviet states in the context of the Eastern Partnership program: the case of Azerbaijan and Georgia

Abstract

The Eastern Partnership (EAP) program of the European Union is one of the key instruments of the EU's foreign policy for building relations with six post-Soviet states of Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus, namely Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. This initiative contributes to the intensification of political, trade and economic ties between the Union and the above-mentioned countries. In this regard, for a more in-depth analysis of the dynamics of relations between the EU and the member states of the Eastern Partnership, both at the bilateral and multilateral levels, it seems necessary to conduct a study. Subject of research: trade and economic cooperation between the EU and post-Soviet states in the context of the Eastern Partnership program: the case of Azerbaijan and Georgia. The object of the study: the foreign economic policy of the European Union in the eastern direction in the XXI century. The purpose of the study is to identify the consequences of the foreign economic policy of the European Union within the framework of the Eastern Partnership on the economies of Azerbaijan and Georgia, taking into account their interaction with the Russian Federation.The relevance of this work is due to the close trade and economic cooperation and interaction of the post-Soviet states of the South Caucasus of Azerbaijan and Georgia with the European Union and the Russian Federation at the present stage. The scientific novelty of the work is explained by the fact that Russian historiography has not yet sufficiently studied the latest trends related to the EU Eastern Partnership program against the background of the current geopolitical situation in the world. If the ultimate goal of the Eastern Partnership program is transformed into EU membership, this region will turn into a zone of rivalry between the EU and the Russian Federation, which will create not only economic, but also political risks for the participating countries.