International and interregional aspects of Eurasian integration

“If we unite for the realization of innovative projects, the work becomes more effective. The Customs Union and the Common Economic Space are aimed at it,” Russian President Putin told at the closing of the 9th Forum of Interregional Cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia in Pavlodar. “We have held the forum in one of the major industrial centers of our republic – in Pavlodar. Our choice is not accidental. 70% of foreign trade turnover of the Pavlodar region is cooperation with Russian regions,” Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev mentioned.

Russian experts discuss prospects of interregional cooperation and integration.

Vladimir Zharikhin, Deputy Director of the CIS Institute

Are Russia and Kazakhstan ready to pay for integration processes in the post-Soviet space? I.e. to play the role of Germany and France in support of our Greece. It is a serious question and it is difficult to answer. This issue lies at the join between economy and politics. Thank God we don’t divide issues on economic and political now, as they are connected with each other. This issue is absolutely political which has serious economic consequences for the countries-initiators. In fact Russia and Kazakhstan are initiators of integration processes in the post-Soviet space. The answer is not simple because it concerns politics. Either in Russia or in Kazakhstan there are more developed and less developed regions. Budgetary flows take place between them – the support of some regions to others. But the political administration is common, i.e. making a decision where money is allocated to spend.

When we speak about an economic union of independent states, the situation is much more complicated. The Greek experience shows that it is really complicated. On the one hand, I’m afraid reduction of independence, giving sovereignty in a greater degree than it is accepted in the European Union (and we can see that it is not sufficient in the EU for normal fiscal process in difficult conditions)… On the other hand, we understand that at the current stage in the post-Soviet space we cannot provide greater de-sovereignty due to political reasons.

Sergey Mikhyeev, General Director of the Political Situation Center

The economic integration at the regional level existed in the Soviet Union, which considered the specificity of economic chains, notwithstanding the question of which region belongs to what republic. It was the so-called TIC – territorial industrial complex. They were based not on the administrative division of territories, but on economic practicability. The EU is developing from zero to establishing because there has never been anything similar in Europe. We have absolutely another way: at first we have destroyed and now we think how to benefit and provide the integration.

Yefim Pivovar, RSUH President

Today we are making a new step which will shift the process into a positive direction. We develop a new program of the Institute of Post-Soviet Regional Research where five research directions are marked. They all are connected with tasks which we discuss. First of all, it is the Eurasian integration project itself. It is one of key directions of our research studies. Secondly, it is a regional cluster. Regional cooperation really exists. It is effective, but at the federal level – I speak about scientific expert work – nobody deals with regions. Regions deal with regions themselves. Then, of course the Russian language and compatriots abroad. It is important especially in the post-Soviet space. Speaking about cooperation between Russia and Belarus, we want to deal with cooperation with the Eastern European component and neighboring components which used to be parts of the Soviet Union, i.e. the Baltic states, Moldavia, Belarus, and Ukraine, and of course, near-border Russian regions. This is our program.

Yulia Yakusheva, Deputy Executive Director of the political scientific center “North-South”

Young people of the CIS countries cooperate with each other insignificantly. There is a problem of awareness and aloofness. The problem of alternation of generations might be one of the most serious threats on the path of integration in the post-Soviet space and filling the Eurasian Economic Union project with real content. The mentioned problems are problems for Russia, first of all. One always wants to integrate with a strong and successful partner. To attract young people of the former Soviet countries, Russia has to improve its competitiveness and form new attractive images for citizens of the CIS countries. Young people from the CIS states should understand that integration with Russia is a way to successful future. What are the ways of settlement of the current problems? Extension of youth exchange, establishing of platforms for communication between young people from the CIS countries. It is important to develop cooperation between young specialists. I think the attraction of young experts from the CIS countries to scientific works on fundamental realization and promotion of Eurasian projects are acute.