Eastern Partnership: Common needs, common interests – Romanian Ukrainian energy cooperation

By Iurii Korolchuk expert for Energy Studies Institute, Ukraine.

The cooperation between Ukraine and Romania in the energy sector has improved only recently. And while the political relations are still cold, the energy companies have found a common language and successfully started implementing new projects.

Both countries went similar ways in establishing internal energy markets- especially concerning gas, oil, coal and electricity industries.

Therefore, it is an interesting and necessary endeavor to compare the current state of the relations between Ukraine and Romania and to assess the prospects of existing areas of cooperation, formulating new goals.

The current report is part of the project ”Romania – Ukraine Civic Forum” – implemented together by the Romanian Center for European Policies and its partners in Kyiv, Institute of World Policy.

Romanian Center for European Policies and the Institute of World Policy (Ukraine) also launched, in December 2012, the report “Narrowing the perceptions gap – views from Kyiv and Bucharest” which identifies and explains a number of negative perceptions and gives details about possible solutions diplomats of the two capitals should take into account in order to move to a consistent bilateral agenda and to build a partnership based on strategic objectives.

Full report, in English, is available here

The second report addressed the sensitive issue of the frozen Transnistrian conflict. Transnistria – Ukraine’s approach and expectations from OSCE’s chairmanship. Romania and Ukraine share a common interest in having as a neighbor a united and functional Republic of Moldova. The frozen conflict in Transnistria may jeopardize the EU perspective of Chișinău, which Romania values highly. Since the Republic of Moldova has made rapid steps into deepening its relation with the EU, 2013 may be the key year. One way or another, Ukraine may provide the concrete, field-based solutions that Chișinău needs in order to avoid derailing its effort towards an EU future.

Full report, in English, is available here