ABSTRACT
The long-term objective of all the east European states is their full incorporation into all multilateral European institutions. Political integration would enhance the legitimacy, credibility, and equilibrium of the emerging pluralistic democracies. The development of political cooperation between western and eastern Europe has proceeded along two tracks: bilateral and multilateral. The east European states have also sought membership in regional groupings that incorporate neighboring Western nations. The east European governments have endeavored to boost their trade with Western states in order to help converge their economies and develop more rational trading patterns following the collapse of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. Prior to the east European revolutions, there was no tried and tested international process for resolving inter-state or intra-state conflicts in the region. All the European states have been grappling with the long-term problem of establishing some new continental security order following the demise of the Cold War.
