EAEC needs parliamentary dimension, Moscow believes

Yesterday the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, host a meeting of the Astana Club with the participation of fifty experts from the US, Russia, China, Turkey, Iran and the European Union, which became an international platform dedicated to discussion of the key issues of the Eurasian region. As the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Karim Masimov said, Astana supports the project of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEC), but looks at it as a purely pragmatic economic project without a political component. Along with this, it is important for Kazakhstan's participation in the implementation of China's ‘one zone, one way’ – the country wants to cooperate with China in the implementation of this program, both bilaterally and multilaterally. Kazakhstan also intends to continue and deepen relations with the European Union. "Almost all the formalities are completed, and in December of the current year we plan to sign an agreement on advanced partnership with the EU.  We have a special relationship with the United States from the very beginning and we would like to keep them in the same direction," Masimov said.

Being asked about the possibility of interaction between the EAEC and the ‘Silk Road Economic Belt’, Masimov said that there are different opinions about the format in which it should be done. "There is a point of view that it is better to do it bilaterally between the two countries, so that decisions are made faster. There is a view that this can be done between the EAEC and China. But there is a point of view that it can be even wider."

Meanwhile, in Moscow on the Forum of the European and Asian Media (FEAM-2015) a Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Ties with Compatriots, Tatiana Moskalkova expressed the view that even in the face of anti-Russian sanctions, recession, reduction in the price of oil project EAEC works. She voiced some components of successful promotion of the project.

‘’First, we need to create a Eurasian Law. We will not be able to move forward without this. Secondly, we need to create a single educational space with its instruments. There is only one tool – the Russian language. If we do not continue to drive it into oblivion, including in Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, I do not speak about Kazakhstan and Belarus, because in Belarus it is the state language, and Nazarbayev holds a very slim competent policy in this direction, because he understands that the Russian language is to not only a communication tool, but it is also a tool for the well-being of each of us",  Moskalkova said.

The second thing is the parliamentary dimension. Here I would like to urge our colleagues from Kazakhstan to rethink their approach to the parliamentary dimension. In contrast to the Eurasian Economic Community, where there was the Parliamentary Assembly, the CSTO, where there is a Parliamentary Assembly of the Union States and the CIS, we have lost this very important area, especially for combining media space around it. It is the only open area where the parliamentarians are elected by the people and are obliged to carry out the line of their voters. This is a platform for discussion, this is an area for arrangements, this is a very important tool, which we do not have, and it was very important to restore it."

The third thing is Eurasian security. We, of course, today, as a strong state, understand that we have undertaken risks by opening our borders, where we carried out huge, unprecedented work to combat the illicit trafficking of drugs, psychotropic substances, to combat illicit arms trafficking, transnational crime, organized crime, and there was very good progress. Today the statistics on crime are creeping up, including those associated with crime brought to us from other countries. When we talk about the benefits, the benefits are obvious today for the states that joined our new integration space, for Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Kazakhstan. 

The influx has increased 40%, I have data only for Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, because they can now work without patents, they get all the social services and guarantees of Russian citizens. But we, the Russians, have to think about the tools that will balance the labor market, and the budgetary shortfall from the sale of patents. "

Moskalkova also encouraged to think seriously about a single educational space, creating the network of the University: " It is necessary to train personnel with a common understanding, a common terminology, and lastly, given the limited time, is the information space, there should be a single categorical apparatus, instruments. I would like to draw your attention to the CIS model law on the Internet that was adopted a few years ago. Today we do not have such a legal instrument which would take us in the information field, could orient and protect against threats and challenges on one hand, and on the other hand, could allow the level of democracy to be raised."