Упрощенная HTML-версия
Author : A. Koshel
Deputy Dean, Faculty of Educational Studies, the Lomonosov Moscow State University, Assistant
Deputy of the State Duma, RF Federal Assembly
THE GEOPOLITICAL BALANCE of the latter half
of the 20th century was tipped in the early 1990s by
the Soviet Union's disintegration which buried the
bipolar world order. There is a more or less common
opinion that we are entering a Cold Peace era in which
Russia might be pushed aside.
At the final stage of Soviet history, Soviet diplomats
signed a great number of documents on mutual recog-
nition, cooperation and a single space in various fields
of social and humanitarian cooperation within the
Commonwealth of Independent States, a new regional structure. This can be described as a
great success of Soviet diplomacy.
It should be said that continued mistrust of Russia and the desire of the post-Soviet Eurasian
states to preserve their sovereignty make economic integration the only acceptable form.
The two decades of the CIS showed that the relations between the former union republics were
developing mainly on a bilateral basis.
In case of their economic integration, the forecasted fall of fuel prices will negatively affect the
economies of all groups of countries.
In the political sphere, Eurasian integration might be encouraged by security-related considera-
tions, peace, stronger democracy, and social-political stability. It should be said that an analysis
of economic gains should be accompanied by an analysis of political repercussions of regional
integration.
It is important to assess the country's security in the context of integration which might soften
contradictions between neighbors and tighten economic cooperation the partners of which
would prefer to settle their conflicts peacefully.
It should be said that integration may include social-cultural (cultural-humanitarian) aspects: co-
operation in education and science, tourism, family ties, and exchange of cultural programs and
events.
Political integration of the EEU members and also of potential members is achieved within
other integration structures - the Union State of Belarus and Russia, Commonwealth of Inde-
pendent States, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
Today, the CIS and EEU are not quite effective yet there is always hope that successful political
cooperation within these structures will be used at the next (political) stage of integration of
members of the developing Eurasian Economic Union.
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Международная жизнь
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Eurasian Integration: Political Determinants