Russian and Western officials universally lauded the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia at a panel on economic integration at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
“If our overall growth in foreign trade totalled about three percent last year, growth within the Customs Union exceeded nine percent. The annual growth in trade of manufactured goods within the Customs Union has gone from 18 percent at its founding three years ago to 23 percent now,”said Tatiana Valovaya, Minister for Integration and Macroeconomics of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC).
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov emphasized the economic nature of the project. “There are people in all three countries – mostly the older generation – with fond memories of the USSR who would like to think of the Customs Union as a political force in the world. I say with complete honesty – the union of political institutions is not on the agenda of this organization at any level.”
The Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan came into existence on January 1, 2010 as part of an attempt to create a single EU-type Eurasian Economic Space by 2015. In July 2011 customs borders were removed between the three countries, leading to surging trade levels.
Other countries that have expressed interest in joining the EEC include Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Vietnam.
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton denounced the EEC as an attempt by Russia to reassert control over the post-Soviet space.
“If our overall growth in foreign trade totalled about three percent last year, growth within the Customs Union exceeded nine percent. The annual growth in trade of manufactured goods within the Customs Union has gone from 18 percent at its founding three years ago to 23 percent now,”said Tatiana Valovaya, Minister for Integration and Macroeconomics of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC).
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov emphasized the economic nature of the project. “There are people in all three countries – mostly the older generation – with fond memories of the USSR who would like to think of the Customs Union as a political force in the world. I say with complete honesty – the union of political institutions is not on the agenda of this organization at any level.”
The Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan came into existence on January 1, 2010 as part of an attempt to create a single EU-type Eurasian Economic Space by 2015. In July 2011 customs borders were removed between the three countries, leading to surging trade levels.
Other countries that have expressed interest in joining the EEC include Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Vietnam.
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton denounced the EEC as an attempt by Russia to reassert control over the post-Soviet space.
