Eurasian Economic Union, founded by Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan as of May 29, 2014, allows its members "to unite resources to move to more technologically developed economies.” A panel of experts assembled by Radio VR discuss Eurasian integration in the Radio VR's weekly program Red Line – and I strongly suggest you check it out!
That's what Sergei Oznobishev, director of the Institute for Strategic Assessment, says about the new integrated economic space. "And if it turns to be so, then I would say that this unification is more than needed and more than effective. But we should see a little bit, a little bit means a year or two whether we will be able to do so,” he adds. Ivan Safranchuk, editor-in-chief, "Great game: politics, business and security in Central Asia": reminds that “Before the Customs Union was started also there was a lot of debate whether that will go in the direction of political integration or this will remain only economic integration. And I think that all the previous years of Customs Union absolutely proved that this is just economic integration, economic cooperation. And the real rational for that is that the three countries Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan clearly want to go through the path of industrialization.”
Here is Voice of Russia's audience think about the issue:
Genghis Moyn wrote:
“Congratulations to the new members. Now there's a new entity to trade with. However, I doubt seriously if the result in day to day business will be much more than a ripple in the global economy for ...ohhh... probably at least 10 years."
Tim Williamson believes that
”It is in the interests of Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union that the anti-EU crowd win throughout Europe. If the anti-EU myopia gains and ultimately blocks the success of Europe, then Russia, the Eurasian Economic Union, China, and other federal/union efforts around the globe will have to deal with a weaker set of independent European states as opposed to the much stronger single European Union economically and militarily. A win for the anti-EU ... is a win for Russia and China. More to come shortly on this topic of increased federal efforts globally, and how each region where those efforts are underway will pursue stronger such federations in an effort to overcome the success of the US by becoming more like the US - but bigger."
Meanwhile, on 30 May 1982 Spain joined NATO and became its sixteenth member. Since NATO's formation in 1949 the organization accepted new members six times and as of 2014 NATO unifies 28 states in Europe and North America. Rick Rozoff, the owner and manager of the Stop NATO website and international mailing list, shared his views about the possibility of further NATO enlargement and on how should the international community and Russia react to it during his interview with Radio VR.
