EU-RUSSIA: COMMON SPACES OVER MUTUAL DISTRUST

For the first time at top-level Strategic Partnership was defined as a goal by Vladimir Putin in his speech at Bundestag in 2001. The framework of the "four common spaces" realized this idea. These spaces are: the common economic space, the common space of freedom, security and justice, the common space of external security, and the common space of research, education and culture. The Moscow Summit in May 2005 adopted Road Maps to act as the short and medium-term instruments for the implementation of the four Common Spaces. This mechanism was sharply criticized both in Moscow and Brussels. For today EU-Russia relations reach a phase of ambiguity and distrust. They are characterized by asymmetry, overdependence and geographical extension of crossing interests. The "four common spaces" concept faces vocal distrust of policy-makers and experts. In the eyes of Europe Russia becomes a more and more authoritarian, unpredictable and obstinate co-partner. In fact, the EU, not Russia, invented common spaces and it is just an action plan of the "EU Neighborhood Policy". Yet at the same time there are positive results. Trade and economic relations intensify rapidly. Real concept of the internal security common space has not been worked out. That is why one can see selective cooperation. Implementation of the common space of external security depends on the political-military integration of the EU, developing of the transatlantic relations and Russian agenda in international affairs. The EU and Russia together significantly contribute to issues of international terrorism and WMD. The Common Space of Research, Education and Culture is the most easy and perspective sphere for cooperation. The "four common spaces" concept is realized in the format of numerous special dialogues. In spite of the results obtained, a plenty of collisions and misunderstanding remain. Because of these, problems like economic overdependence, visa-free regime, human rights, and postsoviet countries are unresolved. Actually four Road Maps were adopted in order to compensate the ambiguity of the EU-Russia relations. They became a symbolic mask for the inability of the two partners to define their strategic priorities. If this statement is considered as the aim of the "four common spaces" one can say it has been reached. The political vacuum was filled.