Inside News on Odessa and Ukraine
I was pondering a blog entry on how the EU will deal with the next Ukrainian political term given the less than ideal way it was run and eventually concluded. The answer it seems has been given before I thought too deeply about strategies, causal effects, lines of communications both overt and subtle and to […]
I am not really in the mood for writing much today - and it’s Sunday! But as it is Sunday, here is the entire EU-Ukraine-Association-Agreement-ENG, all 906 pages of it, for your weekend reading. Lots of interesting content in that and obviously a framework for those nations yet to enter into such negotiations to be […]
Frozen conflicts have traditionally been very difficult to thaw - despite the best efforts of mediators and negotiators. The Transdnestr region of Moldova, a 60 minute drive from where I live, and a place I have traveled through many times, is no exception. After 20 years the conflict with Moldova remains as frozen now as […]
Turkey looks set to be the next Free Trade Agreement negotiated and signed by the current Ukrainian government - quite possibly by the end of 2012. Quite rightly too. If there is a star economic performer in the Black Sea region over the past few years to date, it most certainly is Turkey. In all […]
Well the 9th Yalta Annual Meeting as sponsored by one of Ukraine’s most famous Oligarchy, Viktor Pinchuk, son-in-law of ex-President Kuchma, has begun. Amongst those attending are EU Commissioner Stefan Fule, Swedish FM Carl Bildt, Condi Rice ex US Secretary of State, Gordon Brown ex-Prime Minister of the UK, Newt Gingrich and William Daley and […]
Life is full of little surprises, some good and some bad, but little surprises nonetheless. I have had a little surprise. One which for me with so much free time on my hands I will consider a good surprise. It is especially good from my point of view, as it marries where I live now […]
Two days ago saw the EU appoint its first ever dedicated Special Representative for Human Rights in the person of Stavros Lambrinidis. Undoubtedly he will be working closely with Baroness Ashton and the EEAS (European External Action Service) amongst others within the European Commission. Needless to say, prima facie it seems a good thing and […]
It has to be said, my Latin is somewhat rusty, so my apologies to anybody reading this whose Latin is in a far better state than my own. However, when it comes to lobbying in Ukraine, si ventus non servierit accipe remis (if the wind will not serve, take to the oars) seems quite appropriate. Now we […]
Following on from yesterday’s post relating to the continuing successful low profile dealings between the EU and Ukraine, whilst the high profile bickering continues, on the same day the technical bits of the DCFTA were finally agreed and initialed (19th July), the first really serious negotiations relating to EU and Ukrainian environmental issues took place. […]
Regular readers will recall a few days ago, I was asked two very good questions on twitter, which I recited to you here answering only one of the questions relating to the greening of Ukraine and stating I would return to the question of the WTO and the benefits, or not, of membership. For those […]