Information impasses of post-Soviet integration, part 2

To promote the idea of the Customs Union, it is necessary show how the consolidation of the potentials of the three states can benefit average citizens.

Passivity in the media promotion of the union may lead one to the conclusion that, in an environment characterized by active media opposition, advocates of integration will lose their zeal.

Thus, there emerges an artificially-formed belief that the integration is a form of Russian imperialism ,”a second USSR”. This aggressive interpretation has already caused significant damage to the image of the integration project's concept, both in the CIS member states and outside the former Soviet Union.

The Customs Union (CU) is also interpreted as an international organization unequal in terms of its participation format and the rights of its members, constituting a direct threat to the sovereignty and public interests of independent states. “The Statement on Kazakhstan's joining the Customs Union" by the Kazakh opposition, published in the media on March 25, can be considered a glaring example of this trend. Although poorly reasoned, this statement creates a negative trend in the perception of the CU.

The integration is interpreted as a merely bureaucratic integrational idea, devoid of any prospects. Thus, the problems can be divided into the following categories:

Lack of a profound and detailed program of "answers" to questions emerging in various population groups concerning the integration.

Lack of "positive" information concerning the integration project's "neighbours" in the media of the CIS countries.

Lack of a "unifying" line in the common media of the CIS countries.

The lack of prevailing topics (information motives) concerning the Eurasian Economic Community, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation and the CU in the media outlets of the integration project member countries.

Poor use of modern techniques and tools for information promotion.

Promotion of the CU is conducted exclusively at state level, mechanisms of public support for the project is clearly feeble.

Insufficient use of educational, expert, intercultural, youth and other aspects of cross-border dialogue for further promotion of the integration concept.


Therefore, it is necessary:

To develop an integrated program for promoting the image of the CU.

To promote positive business stories associated with the Customs Union in the media space of the Eurasian Economic Community.
 
To form a pool of companies of various sizes and volumes of trade turnover, the heads of which would tell the media about the advantages offered by the integration and, of course, about the problems of growth and development of mutual coordination, by giving examples of their own. It makes sense to establish a constitution for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Eurasian Economic Community Customs Union. The operational experience of the analogous Russian structure proves that such a business community organization lobbies for its interests within power-holding structures, and also interprets the business-profitability of the authorities’ decisions in the most adequate way.

However, the main task is to transform the CU into a "public project", taking it out of the area of speculative discourses concerning macroeconomic victories and explain as simply as possible how exactly integration of the potentials of the three states operates to the
advantage of ordinary people.

Alexei Vlasov specially for VK