POLITICAL-ECONOMIC INTERACTIONS OF UKRAINE AND THE BENELUX UNION: PRESENT EXPERTISE AND PROSPECTS OF FUTURE RELATIONS

The article examines the current state of Ukraine's bilateral relations with the member states of the Benelux Union (the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg), as well as with the Benelux Union as an integral actor in regional international relations. The author analyzes the achievements of political and economic cooperation between the states, as well as determines its theoretical basis. Particular attention was paid to the reasons for the intensification of bilateral relations between the states after 2014 in the context of the military conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, the MH-17 crash, socio-political transformations in Ukraine and consolidation in foreign policy strategy of rapprochement and association with the European Union. Nevertheless, it was determined that despite the progressive dynamics in the development of cooperation, Ukraine still remains in the status of a recipient state in both diplomatic and economic spheres. The country does not show sufficient initiative in bilateral relations and only accepts the favourable conditions and concessions created by the Member States of the Benelux Union in their own interests. The author conducted a comparative analysis of Ukraine's interaction with each member state of the Benelux Union separately in order to identify differences and inequalities in the development of such relations, as well as to outline promising areas of cooperation in the development of the Ukrainian economy. The author concludes that each of the countries, although focused on the economic sector, still occupies a niche in cooperation with Ukraine: the Netherlands is developing the direction of civil society and the agricultural sector, Belgium proves itself as a representative of the EU as a whole, and focuses on fuel complex, Luxembourg is interested in joint financial initiatives. The article emphasizes the lack of indirect interest of Ukraine in cooperation with the above mentioned countries despite their active interest in economic cooperation, especially in the agricultural sector, and the development of government and administration, in particular in the areas of human and civil rights, policing and unimpeded functioning of public organizations in general.