The Influence of

Presidents of EU and its six eastern neighboring countries - including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldavia – signed a declaration that has been known as “Eastern Partnership” in May 2009, in order to build the framework of their future relationships. Before the year 2001, these countries did not enjoy a peculiar position in the EU’s foreign policy; but military operations in Afghanistan, increased their pivotal role to ensure NATO continued presence in this country. Considering Russia’s attempts in the past years to regain its former power, and pursuing a more aggressive policy, which sometimes clashes with western interests, the " Eastern Partnership initiative " can threaten Russia’s interests in the region, in the long term. Indeed it is possible to evaluate this initiative in the frame of the utilization of EU’s soft power to ensure the regional countries support of EU policies