And cooperation with EU (then still EEC) was one of the things helping build up, and even more later with accession process and post-accession cooperation. Des

And cooperation with EU (then still EEC) was one of the things helping build up, and even more later with accession process and post-accession cooperation. Despite rampant crime post 1989 in many eastern bloc countries that flourished in the chaos, and the predatory capitalism plundering. Especially since the foreign debt (to western countries!) that was big chunk of economical issues of some of the eastern bloc countries didn't disappear.