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EDB: 67% OF ARMENIAN CITIZENS FAVOR JOINING CUSTOMS UNION
September 24, 2013 - 16:26 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - A total of 72% of the population of Kyrgyzstan, 75%
of Tajikistan and 67% of Armenia advocate this decision. In Ukraine
the level of support reaches 50% and in Moldova 54%. These are the
results of EDB's annual research The Integration Barometer.
St. Petersburg, 24 September 2013. In Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia
public support for the Customs Union and the Single Economic Space
(SES) remains high at 65%, 73% and 67% respectively, as shown by the
second survey of public preferences in the CIS with respect to various
issues of Eurasian integration undertaken by Eurasian Development
Bank's (EDB) Centre for Integration Studies and the Eurasian Monitor
international research agency. More than 14,000 people in eleven CIS
countries and Georgia were polled - between 1,000 and 2,000 in each
of the countries.
As compared to 2012, the survey has shown that public support for
the Customs Union and the SES reduced by 7% in Kazakhstan and 5% in
Russia. This happened, largely, because of the increase in the number
of respondents who stated they were indifferent to the participation
of their countries in the Customs Union and the SES. In Belarus the
level of support for its membership of the Customs Union and the SES
grew from 60% to 65%.
Among non-members, the highest level of public support for possible
joining these two structures was expressed in Uzbekistan (77%),
Tajikistan (75%), Kyrgyzstan (72%) and Armenia (67%). An interesting
fact is that Georgian citizens also express significant support for the
country's joining the Customs Union and the SES: the share of positive
answers has doubled over a year to 59%. This suggests that cooperation
between Georgia and the Customs Union countries should be stepped up.
In Ukraine and Moldova 50% and 54% of the public respectively support
the Customs Union. However, compared to 2012, the share of negative
attitudes to the Customs Union has grown from 7% to 24% in Moldova
and from 5% to 28% in Ukraine.
Azerbaijan has demonstrated the lowest level of support for joining
the Customs Union and the SES (37%). At the same time the country's
population has shown the record high level of negative attitudes to
both unions (53%).
However, along with predominantly high assessment of the Customs Union,
The Integration Barometer has also fixed troubling signs in the area
of investment attractiveness, research cooperation and education.
In particular, the most attractive source of foreign capital is the
countries "of the rest of the world" (beyond the European Union and
the CIS region). The highest contributions to this result were made
by Tajikistan (66%, although this figure decreased by 9% year-on-year,
and the priority for it is China), Georgia (60%, the U.S.), Uzbekistan
(62%, Japan) and Azerbaijan (56%, Turkey). The EU capital attracts
predominantly the citizens of Moldova (58%, up 7% year-on-year),
Ukraine (55%, up 15%) and Russia (43%).
Investments from the former Soviet countries are mainly preferred by
respondents from the Central Asian region: Kyrgyzstan (71%), Tajikistan
(63%) and Uzbekistan (60%). The interest in CIS investments is growing
in Georgia (+13% compared to 2012) and Uzbekistan (+11%).
In terms of attractiveness, Russia remains the leading CIS country. In
Tajikistan the economic attraction of the CIS countries has weakened.
Among key partners in the area of research, the leading countries
are again those beyond the CIS and EU (primarily Japan and the U.S.).
These received the highest ratings in Tajikistan (70%), Uzbekistan and
Turkmenistan (67% in each), Azerbaijan (62%) and Georgia and Russia
(61% in each), followed closely by Kazakhstan (59%), Ukraine (57%) and
Belarus (56%). The EU cluster is preferred by the citizens of Moldova
(55%), Ukraine (53%, up 9% year-on-year) and Georgia. The former
Soviet Union group was the most popular in Kyrgyzstan only (63%).
The CIS region is characterized by low competitiveness in the area of
education. The most attractive countries in terms of education are
the EU member states (preferred by 58% of respondents in Georgia,
47% in Armenia, 45% in Ukraine and 34% in Russia) and these figures
are growing.
A separate issue is the demand for goods supplied from neighboring
countries. The Belarusian products are obviously popular. In terms
of competitiveness, Ukraine's citizens have ranked Belarusian goods
(20%) second after Russian supplies and in Russia Belarusian goods
are the most preferred supplies (20% of responses as well).
If to combine three factors - economy, politics and culture - the
priority vector for a relative majority of the respondent countries is
the post-Soviet space and the key factor for this choice is political.
Respondents from seven countries (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) expressed their
orientation to the post-Soviet space in 2013.
In terms of integration preferences, respondents from Russia, Georgia,
Moldova and Ukraine predominantly favor the European Union (the U.S.
in Georgia and Russia in Moldova are comparable preferences). In
Azerbaijan third countries, primarily Turkey, are mostly preferred.
The autonomy indicator ("no attraction for any country") is at the
same time high in Russia and Ukraine and, with respect to certain
questions, in Armenia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The Integration Barometer has proven Azerbaijan's predominant
orientation to Turkey. In Georgia a noticeable positive dynamics of
preferences for the CIS region in many areas and in particular with
respect to the Customs Union and the SES was recorded.
Moldova, Ukraine and, in part, Uzbekistan demonstrate multi-vectored
integration preferences among their citizens. At the same time, the
population of Russia, which remains a centre of attraction for many
former Soviet countries, does not show an apparent inclination for
integration, preferring autonomy instead.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
September 24, 2013 - 16:26 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - A total of 72% of the population of Kyrgyzstan, 75%
of Tajikistan and 67% of Armenia advocate this decision. In Ukraine
the level of support reaches 50% and in Moldova 54%. These are the
results of EDB's annual research The Integration Barometer.
St. Petersburg, 24 September 2013. In Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia
public support for the Customs Union and the Single Economic Space
(SES) remains high at 65%, 73% and 67% respectively, as shown by the
second survey of public preferences in the CIS with respect to various
issues of Eurasian integration undertaken by Eurasian Development
Bank's (EDB) Centre for Integration Studies and the Eurasian Monitor
international research agency. More than 14,000 people in eleven CIS
countries and Georgia were polled - between 1,000 and 2,000 in each
of the countries.
As compared to 2012, the survey has shown that public support for
the Customs Union and the SES reduced by 7% in Kazakhstan and 5% in
Russia. This happened, largely, because of the increase in the number
of respondents who stated they were indifferent to the participation
of their countries in the Customs Union and the SES. In Belarus the
level of support for its membership of the Customs Union and the SES
grew from 60% to 65%.
Among non-members, the highest level of public support for possible
joining these two structures was expressed in Uzbekistan (77%),
Tajikistan (75%), Kyrgyzstan (72%) and Armenia (67%). An interesting
fact is that Georgian citizens also express significant support for the
country's joining the Customs Union and the SES: the share of positive
answers has doubled over a year to 59%. This suggests that cooperation
between Georgia and the Customs Union countries should be stepped up.
In Ukraine and Moldova 50% and 54% of the public respectively support
the Customs Union. However, compared to 2012, the share of negative
attitudes to the Customs Union has grown from 7% to 24% in Moldova
and from 5% to 28% in Ukraine.
Azerbaijan has demonstrated the lowest level of support for joining
the Customs Union and the SES (37%). At the same time the country's
population has shown the record high level of negative attitudes to
both unions (53%).
However, along with predominantly high assessment of the Customs Union,
The Integration Barometer has also fixed troubling signs in the area
of investment attractiveness, research cooperation and education.
In particular, the most attractive source of foreign capital is the
countries "of the rest of the world" (beyond the European Union and
the CIS region). The highest contributions to this result were made
by Tajikistan (66%, although this figure decreased by 9% year-on-year,
and the priority for it is China), Georgia (60%, the U.S.), Uzbekistan
(62%, Japan) and Azerbaijan (56%, Turkey). The EU capital attracts
predominantly the citizens of Moldova (58%, up 7% year-on-year),
Ukraine (55%, up 15%) and Russia (43%).
Investments from the former Soviet countries are mainly preferred by
respondents from the Central Asian region: Kyrgyzstan (71%), Tajikistan
(63%) and Uzbekistan (60%). The interest in CIS investments is growing
in Georgia (+13% compared to 2012) and Uzbekistan (+11%).
In terms of attractiveness, Russia remains the leading CIS country. In
Tajikistan the economic attraction of the CIS countries has weakened.
Among key partners in the area of research, the leading countries
are again those beyond the CIS and EU (primarily Japan and the U.S.).
These received the highest ratings in Tajikistan (70%), Uzbekistan and
Turkmenistan (67% in each), Azerbaijan (62%) and Georgia and Russia
(61% in each), followed closely by Kazakhstan (59%), Ukraine (57%) and
Belarus (56%). The EU cluster is preferred by the citizens of Moldova
(55%), Ukraine (53%, up 9% year-on-year) and Georgia. The former
Soviet Union group was the most popular in Kyrgyzstan only (63%).
The CIS region is characterized by low competitiveness in the area of
education. The most attractive countries in terms of education are
the EU member states (preferred by 58% of respondents in Georgia,
47% in Armenia, 45% in Ukraine and 34% in Russia) and these figures
are growing.
A separate issue is the demand for goods supplied from neighboring
countries. The Belarusian products are obviously popular. In terms
of competitiveness, Ukraine's citizens have ranked Belarusian goods
(20%) second after Russian supplies and in Russia Belarusian goods
are the most preferred supplies (20% of responses as well).
If to combine three factors - economy, politics and culture - the
priority vector for a relative majority of the respondent countries is
the post-Soviet space and the key factor for this choice is political.
Respondents from seven countries (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) expressed their
orientation to the post-Soviet space in 2013.
In terms of integration preferences, respondents from Russia, Georgia,
Moldova and Ukraine predominantly favor the European Union (the U.S.
in Georgia and Russia in Moldova are comparable preferences). In
Azerbaijan third countries, primarily Turkey, are mostly preferred.
The autonomy indicator ("no attraction for any country") is at the
same time high in Russia and Ukraine and, with respect to certain
questions, in Armenia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The Integration Barometer has proven Azerbaijan's predominant
orientation to Turkey. In Georgia a noticeable positive dynamics of
preferences for the CIS region in many areas and in particular with
respect to the Customs Union and the SES was recorded.
Moldova, Ukraine and, in part, Uzbekistan demonstrate multi-vectored
integration preferences among their citizens. At the same time, the
population of Russia, which remains a centre of attraction for many
former Soviet countries, does not show an apparent inclination for
integration, preferring autonomy instead.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress