title: Economic context
abstract: The countries of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) region were hit by a series of political and economic shocks in 2014-15, including the end of the commodity super-cycle, slower growth in China and Western Europe, and the conflict in Ukraine that followed Russia's seizure of Crimea and its intervention in Eastern Ukraine. Western sanctions and counter-sanctions also hit the EaP countries to varying degrees. Azerbaijan, Belarus, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine all underwent recessions, while Arm
journal: SME policy index