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EUROPEAN UNION-RUSSIA RELATIONS, THE «EASTERN PARTNERSHIP», THE FUTURE OF THE OSCE, AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES FOR THE CSDP

To the European Union, Russia is a neighbour—its largest—and a strategic partners. Neighbourly relations are always tricky. Suffice it to take a quick glance at the international community to find dozens of examples of almost constant quarrels and misunderstandings. Even neighbouring states with borders more than firmly established by history fall out with each other. If, to make matters worse, what was once the neighbour’s territory has been left in shreds and in the process it has lost confidence in itself, in the attitudes of others and in its position in international society, we are probably facing a situation that is going to take many years to sort itself out and a path marked by conflicts until a new balance is established. The other side of relations with Russia, the strategic aspect, can be seen to be conditioned by neighbourhood, but it is here that the author calls for us to stretch our imagination in order to make the most of what he considers to be a relationship with a huge potential that has never been fully exploited. The point of departure is an analysis of the respective security strategies, Russia’s and EU's. The author concludes that “from this study it may be deduced that the perception of risks and threats to international security is practically identical for the EU and for Russia”. It therefore seems possible to build a healthy strategic relationship, which is what the author proposes. His conclusions are a logical consequence of his analysis: EU-Russia relations should move on and leave past grievances behind. It is necessary to negotiate with Russia in each and every field of interest, and there are many. From energy to the “common space”, including the numerous aspects that neighbourly relations between two giants entail. And, naturally, in the field that concerns us here, security policy. The Union stands much to gain by incorporating Russia into its security policy.