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With the dramatic collapse of communism in Southeast and Eastern Europe, the newly democratically elected governments had to face the harsh reality of being unable to properly run their countries based on a liberal democratic political system. Also, neither the governments nor their productive sector was able to cope with the rising private enterprise, which was based on supply and demand, fruitful competition, and quality of products. As a result, promoting the essence of democracy and free markets, fell into the hands of the U.S, which for years tried to find a way to make its presence in the region clear. The response of the U.S government after the fall of communism in 1989 and the dissolvement of the Soviet Union in 1991, was swift and methodical. With the signing of a series of legislative acts in the period of 1989-1995, known as the Support for East European Democracy (SEED) Act of 1989, and their implementation through the United States Agency for International Development, the U.S has managed to leave its footprint in the region and establish a network of democratic support to all the former Warsaw Pact country members, as well as the country members of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance.

The SEED Act and Americas objectives in post-communist Eastern Europe

The Support for East European Democracy (SEED) Act of 1989, was part of a series of legislative acts that passed by Congress in the period 1989-1995. The laws were passed under the presidency of both George H.W Bush and Bill Clinton. The legislation was passed as a response to the growing demand for international help in post-communist countries. It is regarded by many as the most successful policy act towards Central and Eastern European countries. While initially the focus of this policy was targeted towards Hungary and Poland, with the growing request from other nation-states in the region, the U.S encompassed more countries such as Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Albania e.t.c, and later on, after the end of the Yugoslavia wars, it managed to include more countries from the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

The primary goal of the SEED is to promote the establishment and enhancement of democratic institutions and help transit the economies of the respected countries that are part of this act, into a free market economy, that will allow any of those countries not only to overcome the centralized bureaucratic communist system but also to become more productive, reliable and trustworthy members of the greater Transatlantic community like their fellow Western democracies. At first, this legislation was focused on Poland and Hungary allowing the U.S to designate two private, nonprofit organizations such as the Polish-American Enterprise Fund and the Hungarian-American Enterprise Fund to promote the development of the Polish and Hungarian private sectors. With that being said, the initial thought of the American side was to not recreate a full-scale of the Marshall Plan, simply because the crushing budget deficits of those countries provoked little interest for the U.S. Instead through the SEED, the U.S government managed to establish different assistance programs, that over time, managed to assist more countries in Central and Eastern Europe and later on, in the Balkan region. These programs were focused on stabilization assistance, development assistance, technical assistance, and political conversion. Also, the aid that would come from the U.S would be directly focused on the agricultural sector, the private sector, educational and cultural programs, as well as scientific programs.

The core message that was expressed through the SEED was the fact that, although at the beginning, any sort of financial aid would be minimal, there would be a possibility of a change to this tactic, only if the fledgling democracies that were undergoing a massive transformation would agree to adopt the ways of Western Europe and the ways that the U.S was proposing for the. In other words, this meant that, if by any chance any of the countries that wished to benefit from the SEED Act, had to fulfill some pre-requirements. For the financial assistance to be implemented, the interested countries had to remove trade restrictions while fully liberalizing the investment and the capital of the country, including foreign investment, while allowing any interested U.S investors to export their profits from these countries. Also, there had to be an increased focus on the development of the capital financial markets that would allow privatization of any public assets. Throughout the years, the SEED Act, allowed the U.S to leave a footprint in the countries that got rid of communism and further help them through other independent agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which is responsible for administering foreign aid and development assistance. If we provide an analysis as to why the U.S is so keen on the development of the post-communist countries, we can identify the two main reasons as to why the U.S was and still is so interested in the democratic and free-market development of the region. The first reason was the fact that if the U.S would financially assist these countries, then it will manage to increase its economic transactions with more countries while also boosting its trading and the uninterrupted free flow of capital profits back to it. The second reason has to do with the geopolitical aspect of the SEED act and the role of the USAID.

If we examine this from a realistic point of view, the U.S has managed not only to increase its economic capital but also establish close diplomatic and military ties with the respected countries in an effort to counter any foreign interest coming from Russia or China. Also, this means that, once the U.S has assured the economic development and establishment of democratic institutions in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, then their accession to the NATO and eventually their incorporation into the European Union, would allow the U.S to maintain close ties in the region and add to its already large military cooperation with third countries. Out of all the countries that the U.S has managed to assist, Romania is one of those interesting cases in Southeast Europe, and it has proven itself as a reliable strategic partner for the United States of America.

The case of Romania

The bilateral ties between Romania and the U.S were always more or less on warm status, but both countries built a strong bilateral relationship after the Romanian Revolution of 1989. The U.S was focused on the legal and fair transition of power in Romania. In 1990, right after the end of the revolution, Secretary of State James Baker expressed the concern of the U.S towards the unfair discriminatory treatment of opposition parties in the May elections in Romania and made it clear that the U.S would not support an undemocratic Romanian government. The Romanians quickly realized that if they wanted any support from the U.S they would have to incorporate more Western democratic values in their country. As a result, in 1992, Romania conducted fair parliamentary and presidential elections. Encouraged by the fair democratic results, Deputy Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger visited Romania in 1992. It was a symbolic visit because it allowed the Romanians to demonstrate their commitment to fully implement Western democratic values in their country. The same year, both countries signed a bilateral investment treaty (BIT), and one year later, in 1993, Romania returned to the status of Most Favored Nation (MFN). These agreements allowed Romania to completely transition its economy, allowing for American investment in energy, manufacturing, telecommunications services, consumer products sectors, and information technology.

With that being said, it was clear that Romania was managing step by step to take substantive steps toward institutionalizing political democracy and economic pluralism, the sole requirement of the SEED act. Besides that, the USAID had a critical role in Romania. In a span of 17 years, until Romanias graduation from the program in 2008, the socio-economic profile of the country has changed for the better. The USAID has managed to fund and establish various NGOs that focus on the rapid decrease of children in orphanages and improving the condition in the remaining institutions for these kids. Also, the civic organizations in Romania, have managed to establish sustainable partnerships with the public and private sector and improve transparency and fairness in both sectors. Last but not least, the private businesses in Romania have managed to become an established feature of Romanias civil society by gaining sustainable funds from the USAID that are directly invested in the tourism, agriculture, food processing, and the industrial sector that allow Romania to flourish as a stable economic power in Southeast Europe.

Apart from the socio-economic factors, the U.S has contributed to the enhancement of the military treaties between itself and Romania. On March 29, 2004, Romania joined NATO and established itself as a reliable ally of the U.S in Southeast Europe. A year after that, in 2005, Romania and the United States signed the Defense Cooperation Agreement, the framework for any future military engagements of both countries. With Romania joining NATO, the U.S managed to gain a foothold in Southeast Europe, close to Russia, and demonstrated its capabilities in creating and sustaining reliable military alliances, helping Romania avoid any influence from the East, while protecting its national interests in the region. With Romania joining NATO, the road towards a future integration in the EU was clearer. With the help of the U.S, Romania managed to meet the requirements for an EU integration. Some of those requirements were focused on reforms that would help Romania become more Western, such as the acknowledgment of respect for human rights, the commitment to personal freedom of expression, having a functioning free-market economy e.t.c. Romania joined the European Union on January 1st, 2007 and according to the European Commission, the country is set to join the Eurozone sometime in 2024. Some may argue that Romania has to be thankful to the U.S for the tremendous progress that has been made, and this will not be far from the truth, since until today both countries enjoy strong military and economic ties.

Democratization or Americanization of Romania?

However, there are always some voices from within Romania that see this whole progress with skepticism. Some argue that although Romania is a democracy, it does not have a democratic society. There are reports of high levels of corruption and nepotism in the public sector. According to Transparency International, Romania is the fourth most corrupt country in the EU, after Hungary, Greece, and Bulgaria. Besides that, the standard of living in the country has not changed significantly since the end of communism, and there is a strong demographic collapse that is connected with the so-called brain drain of the country, with high levels of labor export towards Western Europe. There is some criticism towards the U.S, that points to the fact that the changes in Romania have benefited the American side more than the Romanian one, and there is a feeling that Romania is still stuck in the past.

Although any sort of criticism should be reviewed thoroughly, one can argue that the U.S is not to be solely blamed. After all, the aid that was sent to Romania and the efforts of the U.S to westernize the country were always focused on the national and economic interests of the United States. It is safe to say that the U.S was applying a realistic aspect in its policy towards Romania, realizing the strategic geopolitical position of the country and the important economic outcomes that would come if Romania became a close ally of the United States. The alliance between the two countries and their ties are relatively strong even today, and although there are corruption problems in the country, Romania seems to have benefited more than any other post-communist country regarding aid from the United States. In a way, the policy of the U.S towards Romania was a success as both countries remain close allies, and Romania is enjoying a better socio-economic and political situation within its borders.

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European Union Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and the Role for India - Modern Diplomacy

In his statement to the press after his arrival at todays meeting, Prime Minister Jana said that yesterdays discussion on Belarus showed that the EU stood firmly by its values. "The fact that we put human rights and the political freedom of the individual, the human being, at the forefront is the right response to what has happened," said the Prime Minister, who continued that all their efforts to bring about change for the better in Belarus and to "ensure that similar acts of terrorism or acts of domestic terrorism, such as the hijacking of a European plane in Belarusian airspace, will not happen again", are concentrated in the personal freedom and human rights of Roman Protasevich.

"All our activities have to focus on the protection of human rights and the political freedom of individuals, as human rights and political freedom are about the individual and their rights and not about the rights and freedom of the institutions," stressed the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Jana also said that he was pleased that yesterdays discussion on EURussia relations had been very frank for the first time in years. "While differences emerged, it has been clearly stated in the search for a strategic response that the EUs key strategic response to these challenges is enlargement," said the Prime Minister, who continued that this meant the enlargement of the EU, the enlargement of the single market, and the enlargement of a space with high standards of protection of human rights and democracy. "Today, I expect that we will spur on the Commission and other institutions in their joint European efforts for an end to the epidemic and for a swift and efficient recovery without bureaucratic obstacles and that the national recovery plans will be approved by the Commission as soon as possible, with the resources for their implementation also promptly available," concluded the Prime Minister.

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Prime Minister Janez Jana: The European Union stands firmly by its values | GOV.SI - Gov.si

The forced diversion of a Ryanair jet carrying holidaymakers from one EU country to another Greece to Lithuania has rightly been described as state-sponsored hijacking. In this the week of Bob Dylans 80th birthday, the incident was a shocking reminder of Dylans warning that democracy dont rule the world.

What is at immediate issue is the liberty and wellbeing of a young journalist and his girlfriend. Beyond the specific individuals involved, the arrest and silencing of a journalist represent a deliberate assault on press freedom which is more essential than ever today in holding political leaders to account nowhere more so than in countries with undemocratic and repressive regimes such as that of president Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus.

Moreover, the implications of the hijacking go even wider in two important respects. First, the actions of the Belarus government represent a serious threat to a rules-based international order, according to which it should be assumed among other things that civilian aircraft are free to go about their business without fear of air piracy.

This is not the first case of scandalous interference with civilian aircraft. Nor has Lukashenko invented the idea of what may be called transnational repression. One only has to think, for example, of the grotesque murder of another journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, in Istanbul. But the recent Ryanair incident was cynically premeditated and uniquely barefaced.

The second, wider implication of the episode is that it sets an enticing precedent for other countries, including larger countries, for whom the rule of law represents, if not a barrier to their actions, at least some impediment.

The international response to the incident will thus be of immense importance, for the kidnapped journalist, for press freedom more generally and for the rule of international law. The challenge of calibrating and shaping that response falls in the first instance to the European Union, given that the hijacked plane was travelling between two of its member states and owned by an Irish company.

The EU has already imposed several rounds of sanctions against the Belarus government. However, it must now self-evidently take additional urgent and strong measures. Several European governments expressed immediate and justifiable outrage about Lukashenkos behaviour, but the key is further collective action. The EU is not a military power and is sometimes hamstrung by the need for unanimity on all foreign policy matters.

There are those, especially in the pro-Brexit press, who strain at the bit to proclaim the EUs foreign policy to be toothless. This is, of course, nonsense. The EU exercises significant international influence and has immense economic and trade levers, especially in Lukashenkos neighbourhood. But this latest outrage is a direct challenge to the purpose, values and indeed as regards air travel - the practical operation of the European Union. Its response must be commensurate with that challenge and should hit the regime where it hurts.

The EU should, at the same time, act in concert with those who broadly share its commitment to a rules-based international system and to freedom of the press. Nato, of which Greece and Lithuania are both members, has made its position clear. US president Joe Biden, in contrast to how his predecessor Donald Trump is likely to have reacted, has described the hijacking as dangerous and abhorrent. The UK government, now hopefully fully committed after a blip over the Brexit Northern Ireland protocol to implementing international law, has also strongly criticised the Belarus aggression and called for further sanctions. The more the EU and UK can work together in support of their shared values the better.

The extent to which the Russian government may have approved of the hijacking is, as yet, unclear. The fact that the Russian foreign ministry declared itself shocked by European reaction suggests a mindset of which Lukashenko, who depends on Putins support, will have been aware.

Bob Dylan, in A Hard Rains a-Gonna Fall, sang about the sound of thunder that roared out a warning. The hijacking of a Ryanair airplane as well as the ransomware attack on the HSE by Russia-linked hackers both sound clear warnings to this country. They are timely reminders that security is not just about military hardware but also about things like the safety of civilian aircraft and cybercrime. They are a reminder that security is not a dirty word, that we cant afford to bury our heads in the sand, and that we can only assure Irelands own security by working with others, notably with our partners in the European Union.

There seems to be a growing awareness of this in Ireland. A recent Red C poll, conducted on behalf of the European Movement, indicated that 54 per cent of Irish people believe that Ireland should be part of increased EU security and defence co-operation.

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Ryanair hijacking is a direct challenge to values of the European Union - The Irish Times

The European Union's (EU) Covid-19 passport scheme will be up and running from July 1, European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders said.

The announcement on Friday came a day after negotiators from EU member states, the European Parliament and the European Commission agreed on the regulations that will govern this Covid-19 travel document, Xinhua news agency reported.

The freshly struck deal on the scheme will allow travel in summer, Reynders said at a press conference here, adding that this was "good news for all European citizens".

"All member states must get fully ready during the month of June, so they can hit the ground running," Reynders said.

He added that the European Commission was offering technical support and up to a million euros per state to help.

There will be a six-week transition period for member states that need more time.

The scheme will allow EU citizens to travel more freely within the EU in total health safety and will support economic sectors dependent on free movement, Reynders told journalists.

Three types of certificates will be available free of charge, in paper or digital format: one attesting vaccination with an EU-approved shot; a second showing negative test results; and the third for people who have recovered after having been infected with Covid-19.

Regarding the cost of the required tests, Reynders said the Commission will also mobilise an additional 100 million euros to support member states in providing affordable tests.

The regulation underlines that member states shall refrain from imposing additional travel restrictions on the holders of an EU Digital Covid-19 Certificate, unless they are necessary and proportionate to safeguard public health.

"It is in all of our interests to make this work. Citizens will be able to travel safely. Businesses will be able to benefit from their spending, and transport will be able to operate," Reynders said.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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In addition to seeking limits on flights, European officials called for the immediate release of the journalist, Roman Protasevich, who was detained on Sunday with his partner, Sofia Sapega. His arrest was aggressive even for Mr. Lukashenko, who claimed an improbably large victory in an election last year and was already subject to European Union sanctions.

Airlines are often forced to adjust operations in response to major disruptions, geopolitical and otherwise. This month, for example, several U.S. airlines canceled flights to and from Israel as a conflict there escalated. Some carriers also adjusted procedures, including adding fueling stops, after the hacking of a fuel pipeline company that serves airports on the East Coast of the United States.

In 2014, nearly 300 people were killed when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine, where hostilities were raging, on its way to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam. Western governments blamed the Russian government and Russian-backed rebels fighting the Ukrainian government, while Moscow denied involvement. The Netherlands sued Russia in the European Court of Human Rights last year in an effort to secure evidence that would be useful to families of the victims.

From 2017 until this year, Qatar Airways was forced to avoid airspace over Saudi Arabia and several neighboring countries after they imposed an air, land and sea embargo against Qatar. In some cases, that meant flying longer routes around the Arabian Peninsula. The neighbors accused Qatar of supporting terrorism. Qatar has denied those accusations.

The movement to isolate Belarus will have little effect on U.S. passenger airlines, which rarely fly over the country, according to Flightradar24. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken condemned the forced landing of the Ryanair flight, calling it a shocking act that endangered the lives of more than 120 passengers, including U.S. citizens. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the safety of U.S. flights over Belarus should be assessed.

But cargo carriers could be affected. On Sunday, for example, more than a dozen flights operated by U.S. airlines flew over Belarus, according to Flightradar24, including five by FedEx, four by UPS and two by Atlas Air.

In a statement, UPS said that its network remained unaffected, but that it was evaluating other flight route options that will provide for the safety of our crews and aircraft, as well as maintain service for our customers in case it had to make changes. FedEx said it was closely monitoring the issue.

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E.U. and Britain Move to Impede Belaruss Access to Air Travel - The New York Times