Today, questions about the EAEU, what it is, what power it can contain, are gradually finding their answers. It is obvious that such seemingly stable international organizations as NATO and the European Union, a united Western world, leads to the logical tightening of a similar policy of power in the East. And Russia seeks to become the center of such forces by creating the EAEU, a union designed to generate not only economic growth, but also political weight.

Inactive CIS

EAEU - what is it? Formally this is young international association, personifying the eastern opposition to the western monoliths. At the same time Eurasian Union not at all new idea, it was created on the basis of already existing, but proven to be ineffective organizations. In principle, the first alliance in this territory can be considered the well-known CIS - the Commonwealth of Independent States, which for the most part was an inactive alliance with very little substance.

The second organization in this space was the Eurasian Economic Community. The idea of ​​its creation was submitted by the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev in 1994. For five years, the partners have been looking for optimal solutions for implementing a new partnership. And in 2000, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan signed a corresponding agreement, according to which the partnership came into force in 2001.

Customs Union

One of the main issues of the EurAsEC was the discussion of the creation of a single customs space. As a result, at the beginning of 2010, it began to work within the EurAsEC Customs Union. The Union was created with the aim of strengthening trade integration, creating duty-free trade zones where the exchange of goods would not be accompanied by any economic restrictions. Everyone joined the union EAEU states, the formation of which has also been actively discussed since then.

The implementation of the unified customs code, which was adopted and ratified by all participating states, was not cloudless. The conflict flared up between the Kremlin and Minsk, so much so that Vladimir Putin threatened the Belarusian leader that the union would begin without him. As a result, in April 2011, transport control on the Russian-Belarusian border was abolished. With the preservation of border and migration from these countries, it assumes zero and no excise tax payments. When importing, VAT and excise taxes go to tax authorities Russian Federation.

The second step is towards a unified space

At the end of 2011, the participating countries created. Among the main tasks of the commission was, among other things, further strengthening economic ties as a springboard on which the creation of the EAEU was to unfold.

At the beginning of 2012, it was formed that strengthened the mutual integration of the countries. The start of work was marked by 17 agreements ratified by all members of the created space.

This was the last organizational stage, which resulted in the agreement on the creation of the EAEU signed on May 29 last year in the business center of Kazakhstan, Astana. On January 1 of this year, the union came into force with the participation of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus, and Armenia ratified the agreement a day later. And only four months later Kyrgyzstan joined.

Armenian share

For quite a long time, Armenia delayed joining the Russian alliances in the Asian theater. And although the country joined the newborn association on January 2 of this year, until then, for several years it had been extracting additional preferences for itself during any talk about joining the same Customs Union and earlier organizations. As a result of delaying tactics, Armenia extracted a 1.13% share of customs duties on goods imported into the territory of the union. It is worth noting that the country does not have direct borders with any of the members of the Customs Union. In addition, for the single purchase of goods (mainly we're talking about on agricultural products) Armenia will transfer only by 2022. Separate tariffs will be in effect for milk, eggs and honey until 2020, and for fruits and nuts - until 2019.

Similar concessions are provided for other types of food products. Until 2018, zero customs duties on gasoline will be applied; a common tariff with the EAEU will be introduced only in 2020. In the same way, it is planned to regulate duties on pharmaceuticals, organic and inorganic products, fertilizers, household chemicals and some others.

Benefits for the new participant mainly fell on the largest player in the union - Russia and, according to some economists, by the end of this year it could cost $5.2 billion. It is worth adding that shortly before Armenia’s official entry into the EAEU, the European Union allocated 77.5 million euros.

Arrived at the regiment

The last member to join the union today is Kyrgyzstan; the EAEU will finally accept the new player on May 29, according to the signed documents. The entry on May 8 of this year was announced again president-elect Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. In his speech, he noted that all doubts that had arisen earlier had been removed.

Moreover, at the same time, the Kazakh leader announced the intention, which the EAEU countries had expressed not so long ago, to conclude an agreement on a free trade zone with Vietnam. Türkiye, Azerbaijan, India and Mongolia also showed interest in this agreement.

Economic Development Strategy

Although there was a long road to the creation of the EAEU, what it is from an economic point of view is still not very clear. Several integration positive aspects for national economies were declared at once. In particular, the final cost of goods should be reduced due to significantly reduced costs for transporting goods within countries, as well as for selling them abroad. The economic development of the participating countries must be at the same level, which will ensure “healthy” competition. Meanwhile, how countries would reach the same level was not explained. In addition, it is expected that cost reductions resulting from the removal of trade restrictions will increase labor productivity and, as a result, increase wages.

The expanding territory of the EAEU and economic growth will lead to an increase in demand, adherents of the union believe, which, in turn, will stimulate and contribute to increasing production volumes of all types of goods. And, thus, the welfare of the peoples included in the union should only grow every year.

Compromise approaches

Despite the declared tasks, the union nevertheless began its existence with lightweight obligations. Thus, a significantly smaller range of powers was left to the Eurasian Economic Commission and the court, which were supposed to monitor and regulate compliance with the agreements. If the EEC resolutions are not complied with, the dispute goes to the judicial level. However, decisions made by the court are advisory in nature, and of course the decision on controversial issues adopted at the level of the Council of State Leaders. Moreover, decisions on the creation of a financial regulator of the EAEU, as well as a unified authority for managing energy trade, have been postponed until 2025, or even indefinitely.

Control authorities

IN within the EAEU following the example of the European Union, the corresponding administrative bodies were created: the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council and the Eurasian Economic Commission. The first governing body includes the leaders of the participating countries and the chairmen of the governments of these states. Leaders within the union meet at least once annually, heads of government usually meet twice a year. Decisions are made on a democratic basis and are binding on all members of the union. The powers of the SEEC also include determining the composition and competence of other bodies of the union.

The EEC is a permanent body of the union. Its powers are defined in the charter of the EAEU and imply ensuring conditions for the successful integration of countries into common economic realities. Also, the competence of the previously existing CU Commission was transferred to the EEC. Among them are the definition of macroeconomic, energy, currency, and migration policies; solving issues of tariff regulation and natural monopolies, subsidies and foreign trade and many others. The EEC budget is formed from contributions from union members.

Western reaction

The organization of a strong eastern alliance, of course, does not smile at all on Western countries. Both the European powers and the United States express their fears and disagreement with any attempts at integration in the post-Soviet space, and even more so in the previous composition. The question “EAEU - what is it, first of all, from a political point of view” was asked at first by almost all antagonistic political scientists.

The most categorical dissatisfaction came from the United States, which, after the creation of the Customs Union and on the eve of the agreements on the EAEU, clearly identified this as Russia’s attempt to occupy a dominant position in the post-Soviet space. Meanwhile, according to the American political scientist, Russia can become a powerful power and form an eastern polis only if it unites with Ukraine.

Prospects for the single currency

It was created relatively recently, but the most pressing issues remain monetary and financial integration, which involves, in particular, the creation of a single currency that will strengthen the single market between all participating countries. Already in March of this year, Vladimir Putin instructed the Central Bank and the lower house of parliament to find a solution to these issues together with the central banks of all member countries of the union by September 1 of this year.

Among the names of the new monetary unit, “Altyn” (a term of Turkic origin, dating back to the time of the Golden Horde) and “Evraz”, which overlaps with the euro, are being discussed. Experts, commenting on the idea of ​​a single currency, note that full integration without it is impossible. Previously, the idea of ​​​​creating a single Eurasian Central Bank following the example of Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus was also expressed. The documents signed on this issue included 2025. At the same time, the worsening geopolitical situation is likely pushing, in particular, Vladimir Putin to accelerated measures, analysts believe.

Political ambitions

As soon as we started talking about monetary integration within the EAEU, international experts began to evaluate the union even more clearly from the point of view of a purely political plane. Experts argue that accelerating this process with complete distrust in any of the currencies of the participating countries is an extremely risky operation, and the prospects of the EAEU raise big questions in this regard. Understanding this, of course, will convince partners to meet Moscow halfway, but will also allow them to negotiate a lot of concessions for themselves. All countries, analysts say, are ready to work together only if they can get something in return. These preferences will be covered by the Russian budget. And since the extreme interest in the union is obvious on the Russian side, it may have the weakest position.

The Customs Union is an agreement adopted by the participants of the Eurasian Economic Union, the purpose of which is abolition of customs duties in trade relations. Based on these agreements, common methods of implementation are created economic activity, a platform for quality assessments and certification.

Thanks to this it is achieved abolition of customs controls at the borders within the Union, general provisions for regulating economic activity for the external borders of the CU are concluded. In view of this, a common customs space is being created, using a generally accepted approach to border control. One more distinctive feature is the equality of citizens of the customs area during employment.

In 2018, the Customs Union consists of next members of the EAEU:

• Republic of Armenia (since 2015);
• Republic of Belarus (since 2010);
• Republic of Kazakhstan (since 2010);
• Kyrgyz Republic (since 2015);
• Russian Federation (since 2010).

The desire to become a party to this agreement was voiced by Syria and Tunisia. In addition, we know about the proposal to include Turkey in the CU agreement. However, to date, no specific procedures have been adopted for these states to join the Union.

It is clearly visible that the functioning of the Customs Union serves as a good help for strengthening economic relations between countries located on the territory of the former Soviet countries. We can also say that the approach established in the agreement by the participating countries speaks of restoring lost connections in modern conditions.

Customs duties are distributed through a single sharing mechanism.

Given this information, it can be stated that the Customs Union, as we know it today, serves serious tool for the economic unification of countries that are members of the EAEU.

To understand what the activities of the Customs Union are, it will not be amiss to gain an understanding of how it was formed to its current state.

The emergence of the Customs Union was initially presented as one of the steps in the integration of the CIS countries. This was evidenced in the agreement on the creation of an economic union, signed on September 24, 1993.

Step by step moving towards this goal, in 1995, two states (Russia and Belarus) entered into an agreement between themselves on the approval of the Customs Union. Later, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan also entered this group.

More than 10 years later, in 2007, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia signed a pact to unite their territories into a single customs region and approve the Customs Union.

In order to specify the previously concluded agreements, from 2009 to 2010, more than 40 additional agreements were concluded. Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan have decided that, starting in 2012, a Common Market thanks to the unification of countries into a single economic space.

On July 1, 2010, another important agreement was concluded, which put into motion the work of the Customs Code.

On July 1, 2011, the current customs control at the borders between countries was canceled and general rules on borders with states not in the agreement. Until 2013, uniform legislative norms for the parties to the agreement will be formed.

2014 – The Republic of Armenia joins the Customs Union. 2015 – The Republic of Kyrgyzstan joins the Customs Union.

On January 1, 2018, a new unified Customs Code of the EAEU. It was created to automate and simplify a number of customs processes.

Territory and management

The unification of the borders of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Kazakhstan became the basis for the emergence of the Single Customs Space. This is how the territory of the Customs Union was formed. In addition, it includes certain territories or objects under the jurisdiction of the parties to the agreement.

The limit of the territory is the border of the Customs Union with third-party states. Moreover, the existence of borders for individual territories located under the jurisdiction of the Union member states is normatively established.

The management and coordination of the Eurasian Economic Union is carried out by two organs:

1. Interstate Council- the highest body of a supranational nature, consists of heads of state and head of government of the Customs Union.
2. Customs Union Commission– an agency that deals with issues related to the formation of customs rules and regulates foreign trade policy.

Directions and conditions

By creating the Customs Union, the countries proclaimed main goal socio-economic progress. In the future, this implies an increase in trade turnover and services produced by business entities.

The increase in sales was initially expected directly in the space of the vehicle itself due to following conditions:

1. The abolition of customs procedures within the Union, which was supposed to make products produced within a single space more attractive, due to.
2. Increasing trade turnover by eliminating customs controls at internal borders.
3. Adoption of uniform requirements and integration of safety standards.

Achieving goals and perspectives

Having collected available information about the emergence and activities of the Customs Union, we can come to the conclusion that the results of increasing the turnover of goods and services are published much less frequently than news about the signing of new agreements, i.e. its declarative part.

But, nevertheless, analyzing the stated goals when creating the Customs Union, as well as observing their implementation, one cannot remain silent that simplification of trade turnover has been achieved and competitive conditions have been improved for economic entities of the Customs Union states.

It follows from this that the Customs Union is on the way to achieving its goals, however, in addition to time, this requires the mutual interest of both the states themselves and the economic elements within the Union.

The customs union consists of countries that have the same economic background, but today these states are very different from each other. Of course, in Soviet time The republics differed in their specialization, but after gaining independence, many more changes occurred that affected the world market and the division of labor.

However, there are also common interests. For example, many participating countries remain dependent on Russian market sales This trend is economic and geopolitical in nature.

Throughout the whole time leading positions in the process of integration and stabilization of the EAEU and the Customs Union played Russian Federation. This was possible due to its stable economic growth until 2014, when prices for raw materials remained high, which helped finance the processes launched by the agreements.

Although such a policy did not predict rapid economic growth, it still assumed the strengthening of Russia's position on the world stage.

The history of relations between the parties to the agreements is similar to a series of compromises that were built on the basis of the role of Russia and the positions of partner countries. For example, there were repeated statements from Belarus about its priorities: a single economic space with equal prices for oil and gas, access to Russian government procurement.

To achieve these goals, the Republic increased tariffs on imported cars in the absence of its own production. Because of such measures it was necessary to install rules for certification of light industry goods, which hurt retail trade.

In addition, the standards adopted at the CU level were unified with the WTO model, despite the fact that Belarus is not a member of this organization, unlike Russia. Enterprises of the Republic have not received access to Russian import substitution programs.

All this served as obstacles for Belarus on the path to achieving its goals in full.

It should not be overlooked that the signed CU agreements contain various exceptions, clarifications, anti-dumping and countervailing measures, which have become an obstacle to achieving common benefits and equal conditions to all countries. IN different time in fact, every participant in the agreement expressed disagreement with the terms contained in the agreements.

Although customs posts on the borders between the parties to the agreement were eliminated, border zones between countries have been preserved. Sanitary control at internal borders also continued. A lack of trust in interaction practice has been revealed. An example of this is the disagreements that flare up from time to time between Russia and Belarus.

Today it is impossible to say that the goals that were declared in the agreement on the creation of the Customs Union have been achieved. This is evident from the decrease in the turnover of goods within the customs area. There are also no benefits for economic development, when compared with the time before the agreements were signed.

But there are still signs that in the absence of an agreement the situation would deteriorate more rapidly. The manifestation of the crisis would be broader and deeper. Significant amount enterprises gain relative benefits by participating in trade relations within the Customs Union.

Methods for distributing customs duties among countries also indicate favorable trends for the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Kazakhstan. Initially, a large share was planned for the budget of the Russian Federation.

The agreements signed by the parties benefited the production of automobiles. Duty-free sales of cars assembled by manufacturers in participating countries have become available. Thus, conditions have been created for the implementation of projects that previously could not succeed.

What is the Customs Union? Details are in the video.

Eurasian Economic Union (hereinafter - EAEU)- international organization of regional economic integration, possessing international legal personality and established by the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union. The EAEU ensures the freedom of movement of goods, services, capital and labor, as well as the implementation of coordinated, coordinated and common policy in sectors of the economy.

The goals of creating the EAEU are:

• comprehensive modernization, cooperation and increasing the competitiveness of national economies;
• creating conditions for the stable development of the economies of the member states in the interests of improving the living standards of their population.

Within the EAEU:

In relation to third EAEU countries, uniform non-tariff regulation measures are applied, such as:

• prohibition of import and (or) export of goods;
• quantitative restrictions on the import and (or) export of goods;
• exclusive right to export and (or) import goods;
• automatic licensing (supervision) of export and (or) import of goods;
• permitting procedure for the import and (or) export of goods.

Member states of the Eurasian Economic Union

History of the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union

The official start date for the formation of the Customs Union can be considered 1995, when an Agreement on the creation of the Union was concluded between the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Belarus. The purpose of this Agreement was to establish economic interaction between the parties, ensure free exchange of goods and fair competition.

On February 26, 1999, the Agreement on the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space was signed. The parties to the Treaty were Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and since 2006 - Uzbekistan. Until the early 2000s, the participating countries were actively engaged in the process of establishing cooperation in various fields of activity (including sociocultural, scientific).

In 2000, a decision was made to establish the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC). The members of the community were the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tajikistan.

In 2003, the Agreement on the formation of the Common Economic Space (SES) was signed. Work began on preparing the legal framework for the SES, which later became the basis for the functioning of the Union. Most important events In the process of forming the Customs Union, there were two informal summits of the heads of state of the EurAsEC.

At an informal summit on August 16, 2006, the heads of state of the EurAsEC decided to form a Customs Union within the EurAsEC, according to which Kazakhstan, Belarus and Russia were instructed to prepare a legal framework. A year later, on October 6, 2007, at the EurAsEC summit, a package of documents was approved and signed, marking the beginning of the creation of the legal framework of the Customs Union (agreements on the creation of the Single Customs Territory and the formation of the Customs Union, on the Commission of the Customs Union, protocols on amendments to the Treaty on the Establishment EurAsEC, on the procedure for the entry into force of international treaties aimed at forming the legal framework of the customs union, withdrawal from them and accession to them). In addition, an Action Plan for the formation of a customs union within the EurAsEC was approved.

Officially, on January 1, 2010, the Customs Union of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation began to function. The united states began to apply a single customs tariff and uniform non-tariff regulation measures in foreign trade with third countries, and also streamlined tariff benefits and preferences for goods from third countries, and the Customs Code of the Customs Union came into force. Gradually, customs clearance and customs control began to be abolished at the internal borders of the participating countries of the Customs Union, and points for accepting notifications were eliminated.

In 2012, international treaties came into force, forming the legal basis for the Common Economic Space of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation, creating the basis for the free movement of not only goods, but also services, capital and labor.

With the signing of the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union on May 29, 2014, the participating countries of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space marked the beginning of a new, closer interaction. On October 10, 2014, the Republic of Armenia joined the Treaty on the EAEU. On December 23, 2014, the Accession Agreement was signed Kyrgyz Republic to the EAEU.

Structure of the unified customs legislation of the Eurasian Economic Union

In connection with the formation of the regulatory legal framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, the customs legislation of the participating states is changing. First of all, in addition to the current national legislation, two more levels of regulation have appeared: international agreements of the member states of the Customs Union and Decisions of the Customs Union Commission (currently the Eurasian Economic Commission). On this moment The customs legislation of the EAEU is a four-level system:

Customs Code of the Eurasian Economic Union

Go to more high level integration required major changes in the legal framework of the Union. Work on the creation of a new Customs Code took several years; the process required numerous approvals of amendments by the Union member states. On December 26, 2016, the Customs Code of the Eurasian Economic Union was adopted, which replaced the Customs Code of the Customs Union adopted in 2009. The new EAEU Labor Code came into force on January 1, 2018. The document combines many international treaties and agreements of the Customs Union (for example, the Agreement on determining the customs value of goods moved across the customs border of the Customs Union), which will lose force in whole or in part.

Customs EAEU code contains a number of new provisions relating not only to the structure of the Code itself (the new EAEU Labor Code contains 4 appendices, which were not in the CU Customs Code), but also to the rules of customs regulation in the Union. Thus, in the draft EAEU Customs Code, the conceptual apparatus was updated, the “single window” principle was introduced, the priority of electronic declaration was declared, some changes were made to customs procedures, the institution of an authorized economic operator was reformed, etc.

Governing bodies of the Eurasian Economic Union

The governing bodies of the EAEU are:

• Supreme Eurasian Economic Council (supreme governing body)
• Eurasian Intergovernmental Council
• Eurasian Economic Commission (working permanent body)
• Court of the Eurasian Economic Union

Directions of activity of the Eurasian Economic Commission.

The idea was proposed by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. Back in 1994, he put forward an initiative to unite the countries of Eurasia, which would be based on a common economic space and defense policy.

Twenty years later

On May 29, 2014, in Astana, the presidents of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on the Eurasian Economic Union, which came into force on January 1, 2015. The next day - January 2 - Armenia became a member of the union, and on August 12 of the same year, Kyrgyzstan joined the organization.

For twenty years, since Nazarbayev's proposal, there has been forward movement. In 1995, Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus signed an agreement on the Customs Union, designed to ensure free exchange of goods between states, as well as fair competition among business entities.

Thus, the first stone was laid in the integration of the former republics of the USSR, based on deeper principles than those on which the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), created at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union, was based.

Other states in the region have also shown interest in the Customs Union, in particular, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have joined it. The process smoothly moved to a new stage - in 1999, the countries participating in the Customs Union signed an agreement on the Common Economic Space, and in the following 2000, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan established the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC).

Things didn't always go smoothly. Disagreements arose between the states, but in the disputes a legal basis for cooperation was born - in 2010, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Kazakhstan signed 17 basic international treaties, on the basis of which the Customs Union began to operate in a new way. A unified customs tariff was adopted, customs clearance and customs control at internal borders were abolished, and the movement of goods in the territory of the three states became unhindered.

The following year, 2011, countries moved to create a single economic space. In December, a corresponding agreement was signed between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, which came into force on January 1, 2012. According to the agreement, not only goods, but also services, capital, and labor began to move freely on the territory of these countries.

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) became a logical continuation of this process.

Objectives of the Union

The main goals of the creation of the EAEU according to the agreement are stated:

• creating conditions for the stable development of the economies of states that have joined the organization, in the interests of improving the living standards of their population;
• the formation within the framework of the union of a single market for goods, services, capital and labor resources;
• comprehensive modernization, cooperation and increasing the competitiveness of national economies in the context of the process of economic globalization.

Controls

Main body of the EAEU is the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, which consists of the heads of state of the organization’s members. The tasks of the Council include resolving strategically important issues of the functioning of the union, determining directions of activity, prospects for the development of integration, and making decisions aimed at realizing the goals of the EAEU.

Regular meetings of the Council are held at least once a year, and extraordinary meetings are convened at the initiative of any member state of the organization or the current Chairman of the Council.

Another governing body of the EAEU is the Intergovernmental Council, which includes heads of government. Its meetings are held at least twice a year. The agenda of the meetings is formed by the permanent regulatory body of the Union - the Eurasian Economic Commission, whose powers include:

• Transfer and distribution of import customs duties;
• establishment of trade regimes in relation to third countries;
• statistics of foreign and mutual trade;
• industrial and agricultural subsidies;
• energy policy;
• natural monopolies;
• mutual trade in services and investments;
• transport and transportation;
• monetary policy;
• protection and protection of the results of intellectual activity and means of individualization of goods, works and services;
• customs tariff and non-tariff regulation;
• customs administration;
• and others, in total about 170 functions of the EAEU.

There is also a permanent Court of the Union, which consists of two judges from each state. The Court considers disputes arising on the implementation of the main treaty and international treaties within the Union and decisions of its governing bodies. Both member states of the Union and individual entrepreneurs operating on their territory can apply to the court.

Membership in the EAEU

The Union is open for any state to join, and not only the Eurasian region. The main thing is to share its goals and principles, as well as to comply with the conditions agreed upon with the members of the EAEU.

At the first stage, it is necessary to obtain the status of a candidate state. To do this, it is necessary to send a corresponding appeal to the Chairman of the Supreme Council. Under his leadership, the council will decide whether or not to grant candidate state status to the applicant. If the decision is positive, a working group will be created; it consists of representatives of the candidate state, current members of the Union, and its governing bodies.

The working group determines the degree of readiness of the candidate state to accept the obligations arising from the fundamental documents of the Union, then the working group develops a plan of activities necessary for joining the organization, determines the scope of the rights and obligations of the candidate state, and then the format of its participation in the work of the bodies of the Union .

Currently, there are a number of potential applicants for candidate status to join the EAEU. Among them are the following states:

• Tajikistan;
• Moldova;
• Uzbekistan;
• Mongolia;
• Türkiye;
• Tunisia;
• Iran;
• Syria;
• Turkmenistan.

According to experts, the most ready countries for cooperation in this format are Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Another form of cooperation with the EAEU is the status of an observer state. It is acquired in a similar way to the status of a candidate for membership and gives the right to take part in the work of the Council’s bodies and to get acquainted with accepted documents, with the exception of documents that are confidential.

On May 14, 2018, Moldova received EAEU observer status. In general, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, about 50 states are currently interested in cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union.

The Russian diaspora is one of the largest in the world, but for Russia it is more of a problem than an instrument of influence

Alexander Khaldey

A few months ago I wrote an article about how difficult it is for Russians in Kazakhstan if they occupy some significant position or active position in life. In general, the topic of discrimination against Russians in Kazakhstan is so old that it is even somehow inconvenient to return to it again, but since there is a problem, it is impossible not to react to it.

With the collapse of the USSR, a huge number of Russians in former republics turned out to be unnecessary neither to the republics nor to Russia. Russia and its citizens did not know what to do, but in the republics the process of national construction was underway, and the Russians, bearers of the idea of ​​a bygone international statehood, became a hindrance.

In the Baltics, Russians were reduced to the status of non-citizens, in Kazakhstan they are squeezed out of positions by all means, provoking them to leave for Russia, and it’s also good that they were not killed, as in Dudayev’s Chechnya or Kyrgyzstan. As they say - thank you for being alive.

The extraordinary adventures of a Kazakhstani in Russia

Gennady Osipov, a former resident of Kazakhstan, now a refugee in Russia, went through all the circles of this hell, facing arbitrariness as an employee of the local district administration. There he was responsible for the housing and communal services sector, where he quickly restored order, which did not comply with the plans of the local leadership, who knew how to make a profit from the mess. Osipov began to be persecuted, he looked for the truth everywhere, ran for deputy, was removed, ordered criminal cases were opened and closed, in a word, they beat him from all calibers. Osipov turned out to be a persistent fighter and reached Nazarbayev himself. He ordered the persecution to be cancelled, but after a while they began again. There was only one way out: a suitcase, a train station, Russia. Russians have been walking this bitter path of Exodus since 1991. And there is no end in sight.

Here are fragments of Osipov’s correspondence with Russian organizations, where he turned for help in defending his rights. The correspondence is so eloquent that it is worth simply citing it without any comments. Texts speak better. Reads like a detective novel in letters.

1. Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Consular Section.

Gennady Dmitrievich, in accordance with the appeal, we inform you that in Russia for citizens former USSR There is no concept of political asylum. Entry into the territory of the Russian Federation is free and visa-free. You can freely travel from Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation. Head of the Consular Section of the Russian Embassy in Kazakhstan D. Ignatiev.

2. Deputy Chairman State Duma. G.D. Osipov. Dear Gennady Dmitrievich! In connection with your appeal regarding the violation of your labor and other rights, I sent a parliamentary request to the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation G.B. Karasin, who is in charge of issues of bilateral relations with the CIS states and work with compatriots abroad, to consider this appeal on the merits. You will be informed additionally about the results. Sincerely, P.O. Tolstoy.

3. Fund for the support and protection of the rights of compatriots living abroad. Dear Gennady Dmitrievich! According to the Charter, the foundation provides legal support to compatriots living abroad in case of violation of their rights, freedoms and legitimate interests. ... It is unclear from the information you provided which rights you consider to be violated. We believe that the solution to the issues you raised is entirely within the legal framework of Kazakhstan. In this regard, we see no reason to use our Fund. Executive Director I.K. Panevkin.

4. Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dear Gennady Dmitrievich! In connection with your appeal addressed to the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin, we inform the following: The refusal you received in court objectively does not provide grounds for confidently asserting discrimination against ethnic Russians in Kazakhstan. The relationship between Russia and Kazakhstan is based on a solid foundation of strategic partnership and close interaction, enshrined in the Treaty on Good Neighborhood and Alliance signed in 2013... Moreover, if you have at your disposal specific factual information about the infringement of the rights of Russians living in Kazakhstan, please send it to us. Deputy Director of the Third Department of the CIS countries V. Spirichan.

5. Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation. Osipov G.D. Dear Gennady Dmitrievich! Your next appeal to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation has been studied. ... The competence of the Commissioner does not extend to foreign citizens. ...You have Kazakhstan citizenship. Thus, the Commissioner is deprived of any grounds for intervention. Based on this, further correspondence with you will be stopped.

6. State Duma of the Russian Federation, faction of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. To the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.A. Nazarbayev. Copy: G.D. Osipov. Dear Nursultan Abishevich! G.D. Osipov from the city of Pavlodar, Republic of Kazakhstan, contacted the faction. Russian by nationality, he lived in your republic for many years, but has now been fired from public service(he reports that he worked as the head of municipal property in Pavlodar). He asks to help him regain his job or move to the border region of Kazakhstan with the Russian Federation and help him find a job in his specialty. I am sending you an appeal from Osipov G.D. I ask you, if possible, to help him reinstate himself in the service or help him find a job elsewhere in his specialty. The leader of the faction is G.A. Zyuganov.

7. Dear Gennady Dmitrievich! We have received your materials. It clearly follows from them that Kazakhstani justice has a clear selective nature. Your story confirms numerous facts of discrimination against Russians based on their nationality. These facts are known to us, and a member of our Institute has also encountered them. (The following are the coordinates of the Kazakh Legal Aid Center "Nadezhda", whose lawyers help Russian compatriots - my note, A.Kh). Your example will certainly be taken into account when analyzing the situation of Russians in Kazakhstan. Legal Center of the Institute of CIS Countries, Dokuchaeva A.V.

Russia is a giant, ashamed of its greatness

The whole range of reactions to the problem is before us. Pattern - the further an organization is from real possibilities help, the more adequate its response (Institute of CIS Countries). The closer an organization is to international or legal relations, the more effort it puts into avoiding solving the problem. The main desire is not to get involved in conflict. The main remedy is to never admit the existence of the problem itself. Then follows a filigree game of passing, when the complaint is sent to someone else, and outright annoyance and even hostility towards the complainer is clearly visible.

What can I say? Yes, Russia has lost many, although not all, levers of influence on the former Soviet republics, and they sometimes indulge in completely boorish behavior towards both Russia and the Russians living in these republics. And Russia, in order not to aggravate already difficult relations, seeks to avoid any conflicting topics. And these topics are supplied in abundance by Russian communities in the former republics, where Russians from an imperial nation have turned into second-class citizens. Lacking the means of involving the republics in unions, but desperately needing these unions, Russia is trying not to conflict with the leadership of Kazakhstan. The attitude towards other republics is similar.

Just as interests in the field of export of petroleum products through the Baltic states at one time did not allow interference in the arbitrariness of local authorities against Russians, now the interests of the unity of the EAEU do not allow this in Kazakhstan. If this was not practiced against a NATO member, what can we say about an EAEU ally? Even now, when Kazakhstan is already openly putting the interests of the United States above those allied with Russia, declaring that it will immediately leave the EAEU if it considers that Russia is trying to limit their sovereignty, Russia prefers not to react sharply and smooth out corners.

This shows one thing for now: Russia is too weak and too in need of alliances on its Asian borders. After the collapse of the USSR, she cannot afford to argue with those whom she considers key partners. Any pressure on Kazakhstan regarding the interests of the Russians will immediately cause an extremely irritated reaction with far-reaching consequences - a transfer of power is being prepared in Kazakhstan and pro-American clans are quite strong, for which the dispute over the Russians will be a gift for inflating the topic of Russian interference in the internal affairs of Kazakhstan. That’s why the Russian Foreign Ministry avoids this topic like the plague.

This only means that in Russia there is no adequate institution capable of solving the problem of Russians in the near abroad in general and in Kazakhstan in particular. Yes, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not the authority that needs to be involved in a conflict topic if the task of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to find points of contact and build bridges, and not points of divergence and conflict. The situation when the interests of Russians abroad are most adequately understood by... the Research Institute of CIS Countries is also not normal. The institute understands everything correctly, but it can’t do anything. The Foreign Ministry can do more than anyone, but then it will engage in destruction international relations, and not by establishing them.

This requires other institutions of civil society. They have not yet been created in Russia. So far there is not even an idea of ​​what it should be and how it should be formalized. Obviously, this should be some kind of public organization with a federal platform, around which there will be structures of business, cultural organizations, political parties, who without the support of this structure will find it more difficult to win elections. Most likely, it should be a powerful non-profit organization in the form of a foundation with research and policy divisions.

But powerful NPOs mean powerful money, and Russia is not yet in a position to shape the internal situation in the countries it is interested in through strong NPOs. Even with friendly Belarus, there are still no levers to work with other than the ambassador. Ukraine has already been lost because of this. Belarus is balancing on a dangerous brink. It is clear that opening another line of confrontation with Kazakhstan is inappropriate.

But this is a chicken and egg debate. What cannot happen without what - money without influence or influence without money. You can say: if we get rich, then we’ll start building NPOs. Or you can say this: if you don’t start building NPOs, you will never get rich. You will even lose those who are still friends today. If you wait for money and don’t build institutions of influence, you will never have either influence or money. Russians abroad are a colossal resource, but due to the fact that it is not in demand in Russia, there are no institutions to support and use this resource.

This is for those cynics who look at everything in the world as a resource. And if we understand that our people are there, our people and our brothers, whom we have already lost in many ways and continue to lose, then there is no reason at all to postpone this work. We can definitely say that the seriousness of Russia’s intentions in building alliances in the post-Soviet space is determined not by the degree of hushing up the Russian problem, but, on the contrary, by the maximum use of this topic in the matter of a new gathering of lands.

The new union must have a supranational - international - idea, and only Russians can carry this idea - the only state-forming people capable of global state building on the basis of a global idea. All other narrowly national projects ultimately lead to the loss of sovereignty in front of global centers of power.