The summit of the heads of state of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) started in Sochi on Monday chaired by President Vladimir Putin. Experts told Nezavisimaya Gazeta, they expect the Russian leader to present a new Eurasian agenda at the summit, as well as hold bilateral talks with the heads of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Moldovan President Igor Dodon who was also invited, is counting on his country receiving observer status in the organization.
This year Russia is chairing the EAEU. According to acting Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov, under Russia’s chairmanship, the organization is prioritizing building up efforts to create a single market for goods and services, developing production links and cooperation, and a course for rapprochement of financial policy.
However, according to the newspaper, experts are less optimistic. The summit is important for the personal contacts among the heads of state. Moreover, leaders and also political systems have changed in Kyrgyzstan and Armenia. The border problem is becoming more acute as the 2018 World Cup in Russia is approaching. In addition, according to the newspaper, Kazakhstan often questions the viability of the country’s membership in the EAEU. This is primarily because the players haven’t seen any economic efficiency due to the similarities of the economies of Kazakhstan and Russia, which is mainly a strong dependence on raw materials sales.
"2017 was a year of trials, shocks, and trade and transit wars. These conflicts have already become routine for our union," independent expert Kubat Rakhimov told Nezavisimaya Gazeta. According to him, this has both a negative and a positive side. "There are serious shortcomings in the EAEU’s structure. However, it is good that we identify and grasp them. Finding compromises is normal," he added. According to the expert, politics prevailed over the economy. "In 2015, Russia entered a period of sanctions and response sanctions. These conditions caused serious resistance and misunderstanding among the allies," the expert said. In his opinion, it is necessary to return to the idea of creating a single border and customs control.
"We have to trust each other's external perimeters, to remove partitions between our countries, as it was done in the Schengen zone. At the same time, we would have solved the issue of 'sanctions and counter sanctions’," the expert continued. He noted that the adoption of a new Eurasian agenda is expected during the summit. "If this does not happen, the EAEU will have conflicts - for example between Russia and Belarus, and between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan," Rakhimov said.
Reported by the Nezavisimaya Gazeta (Russia).
