Poland in the EU

The good news: in spite of the economic crisis the Eastern Partnership, an EU project invented by Poland and Sweden to help 6 Eastern neighbours of the EU is going to live.

The project aims to help Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbeijan and Belarus, if it behaves. Recently Western Europe became more sceptical towards it. The Club Med countries were afraid too much money would flow East, instead of South. Germans are generally afraid of spending money. 

After Monday's discussions of ministers of foreign affairs in Brussels it's clear the project will fly. Even unusual suspects like the French minister Bernard Kouchner were underlining its importance.

The bad news: it's still not clear how much money it will get. The Polish minister Radoslaw Sikorski seemed to think everybody agreed to 600 mln euro for 2010-13, but Kouchner spoke of only 250 mln.

Similarly, the ministers were not in unison about the role of Russia and Turkey it this. Some (like France), afraid Moscow would feel excluded, were trying to invite her in. Others (like Poles or Czechs) would see that as the death of the whole idea.

The ministers agreed that Russia and Turkey would participate in some projects if they wished. But the interpretations of their status clearly differ. Kouchner talked of not leaving the Russians out, like we did in NATO. The Czech minister Karel Schwarzenberg replied with an amusing list of other potential participants: Japan, the US or China.

So is somebody NOT going to participate in this? :-)