Re-energizing the Eastern Partnership: Time for New Innovative Ideas

On 29 October 2019, ZOiS along with the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation held a joint event entitled “Re-energizing the Eastern Partnership: Time for New Innovative Ideas”. The talk delivered by Dr. Elkhan Nuriyev and ensuing discussion, chaired by ZOiS researcher Dr. Nadja Douglas, focused on the 10-year anniversary of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) established between the EU and Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in 2009. At the time of many serious changes that have occurred both within the EU and in the partner countries, the event looked at upcoming challenges of the Eastern Partnership and debated on the future of this policy framework. In her introductory remarks, Dr. Judith Wellen from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation briefly talked about funding programs for international scholars and underscored the importance of the discussion topic. Humboldt Senior Fellow Elkhan Nuriyev then provided insights into his current research on critical issues affecting the future of the Eastern Partnership. While presenting his approach, Nuriyev discussed new tools allowing the Eastern Partnership to become more effective and proposed ways to make the current concept of the Eastern Partnership reasonably adequate to meet challenges ahead. This was followed by a lively question and answer session during which participants presented their comments and views.

Dr Elkhan Nuriyev, currently a Humboldt Senior Fellow and a guest researcher at ZOiS is a Global Energy Associate at the Brussels Energy Club and a Senior Expert on Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia at L&M Political Risk and Strategy Advisory in Vienna. He is also a long-time expert member of the Partnership for Peace (PfP) Consortium’s Study Group on Regional Stability in the South Caucasus at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.