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NEW COMMUNITY?: IS PUTIN'S "EURASIAN UNION" LIKELY?
By Sara Khojoyan
ArmeniaNow
http://armenianow.com/economy/33222/armenia_russia_cis_eurasia_union_creation
15.11.11 | 14:18
Armenia might benefit from becoming a member of Eurasian Union,
but only if it develops certain economic mechanisms, since it has no
common border with Russia, says Andrey Areshev, Senior Scientiist at
Public Institute of Political and Social Studies of the Caspian Region.
"I believe that this [the Eurasian Union] is just an idea yet, it
needs a clear-cut shape and solution, there have always been ample
ideas. Russia is trying to create a new political-educational and
alternative center based on economic integration; time will show
whether it'll succeed or no," says the expert.
On October 3, Russian Izvestiye periodical published an article by
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin titled "New integration process for
Eurasia: a future that's born today", where Putin suggests reaching
a more ambitious goal on the basis of CIS and the Customs Union:
"The creation of a Eurasian Union would be a higher degree of
integration. First of all, it's not about re-creating the USSR in
one way or another. It'd be naïve to try to restore or copy what's
in the past now, but a tight integration on a new value, political
and economic basis is the call of the times."
On October 18, in Saint Petersburg eight members of the Commonwealth
of Independent States, a Russia-dominated loose alliance, of 11 former
Soviet states, (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Moldova, Tajikistan, and Armenia) signed an agreement on the creation
of a free trade zone which had been on the negotiation table for two
decades, but the sides, as Putin put it, have only now "reached an
unexpected result". The creation of the Eurasia Union is the assumed
logical continuation of the free trade zone.
On October 19, in Saint Petersburg the Armenian premier stated that
"Armenia is positive about the offer. It has a perspective and goes
with the time."
Despite a number of businessmen's excitement and positive assessments
of both the free trade zone and the Eurasian Union, some local
economists and political analysts believe that it would put Armenia
into a greater dependence from Russia.
New Times political party leader, oppositionist Aram Karapetyan, for
example, predicts that in 2012 Armenia would be facing an alternative
- either to become a member of the Eurasian Union or choose NATO-EU
direction.
Karapetyan is convinced that after the presidential elections Russian
leadership's priority will be the integration processes in the former
USSR region.
Areshev, nonetheless, is convinced that if Armenia becomes a Eurasian
Union member, it will not be subjected to pressure even in the most
fundamental issue - the Karabakh conflict settlement.
"The Karabakh issue is not a subject of trade between Moscow and Baku,
it's a highly complicated issue, thus any agreements or promises
would be infeasible. I believe that it's obvious to everybody that
the Karabakh issue is not one Moscow can solve.
"It would be regretful if it [the Eurasia Union] turned out to
be another PR step that would be forgotten the next day after the
elections. It will either become a highly successful project or will
die. To talk about that union for years and end up not implementing
it would be really bad," says the expert.
From: Baghdasarian
By Sara Khojoyan
ArmeniaNow
http://armenianow.com/economy/33222/armenia_russia_cis_eurasia_union_creation
15.11.11 | 14:18
Armenia might benefit from becoming a member of Eurasian Union,
but only if it develops certain economic mechanisms, since it has no
common border with Russia, says Andrey Areshev, Senior Scientiist at
Public Institute of Political and Social Studies of the Caspian Region.
"I believe that this [the Eurasian Union] is just an idea yet, it
needs a clear-cut shape and solution, there have always been ample
ideas. Russia is trying to create a new political-educational and
alternative center based on economic integration; time will show
whether it'll succeed or no," says the expert.
On October 3, Russian Izvestiye periodical published an article by
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin titled "New integration process for
Eurasia: a future that's born today", where Putin suggests reaching
a more ambitious goal on the basis of CIS and the Customs Union:
"The creation of a Eurasian Union would be a higher degree of
integration. First of all, it's not about re-creating the USSR in
one way or another. It'd be naïve to try to restore or copy what's
in the past now, but a tight integration on a new value, political
and economic basis is the call of the times."
On October 18, in Saint Petersburg eight members of the Commonwealth
of Independent States, a Russia-dominated loose alliance, of 11 former
Soviet states, (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Moldova, Tajikistan, and Armenia) signed an agreement on the creation
of a free trade zone which had been on the negotiation table for two
decades, but the sides, as Putin put it, have only now "reached an
unexpected result". The creation of the Eurasia Union is the assumed
logical continuation of the free trade zone.
On October 19, in Saint Petersburg the Armenian premier stated that
"Armenia is positive about the offer. It has a perspective and goes
with the time."
Despite a number of businessmen's excitement and positive assessments
of both the free trade zone and the Eurasian Union, some local
economists and political analysts believe that it would put Armenia
into a greater dependence from Russia.
New Times political party leader, oppositionist Aram Karapetyan, for
example, predicts that in 2012 Armenia would be facing an alternative
- either to become a member of the Eurasian Union or choose NATO-EU
direction.
Karapetyan is convinced that after the presidential elections Russian
leadership's priority will be the integration processes in the former
USSR region.
Areshev, nonetheless, is convinced that if Armenia becomes a Eurasian
Union member, it will not be subjected to pressure even in the most
fundamental issue - the Karabakh conflict settlement.
"The Karabakh issue is not a subject of trade between Moscow and Baku,
it's a highly complicated issue, thus any agreements or promises
would be infeasible. I believe that it's obvious to everybody that
the Karabakh issue is not one Moscow can solve.
"It would be regretful if it [the Eurasia Union] turned out to
be another PR step that would be forgotten the next day after the
elections. It will either become a highly successful project or will
die. To talk about that union for years and end up not implementing
it would be really bad," says the expert.
From: Baghdasarian