The Eurasian Economic Union as a Regional Integration in the Post-Soviet Space

Halmos Zsolt (2022) The Eurasian Economic Union as a Regional Integration in the Post-Soviet Space. Külkereskedelmi Kar.

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Absztrakt (kivonat)

After the dissolution of the USSR, the Eurasian Economic Union can be characterized as the most relevant multilateral arrangements in the post-Soviet space. The Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union established the union in 2014 and entered into force in 2015. Based on the Treaty, the EAEU was created for economic purposes: free movements of goods, services, capital, and labour among the member states, and it meant a cornerstone in the history of the post-Soviet territory. Currently it includes five member states: the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation. The growth of integration processes and the competition between them are an integral part of the contemporary global world. The Eurasian Economic Union entered this integration competition in 2014. Most regional integration wants to expand their territory in line with their internal economic and institutional developments. The amount of literature related to the Eurasian Economic Union is significant, but the number of those that are specifically about the enlargement of the EAEU is negligible. In 2020, the EAEU released its strategic plan for the next five years, until 2025. Although the strategic plan does not include a possible enlargement, in my view it is worth examining the conditions for a possible enlargement. The EAEU is a relatively young regional integration, which is why it will be forced to expand its territory after a while. Therefore, the question arises as to how the Union will be able to carry out further enlargement. The EAEU uses the European Union’s experience (its institutional system, historical development etc.) in order to achieve results within a short time. A regional integration is ready for enlargement if its economy can handle it, and it has strong institutions. Furthermore, the candidate country must fit into the basic idea of integration. Therefore, the research question of my dissertation is the following: is the EAEU expected to expand its territory by the end of 2025? To answer this question, I examined the narrative of the EAEU, the idea of “Greater Eurasia”, its institutional system, economic features, and the union itself on the international stage. The research method is qualitative during which I used interviews and reports. In addition, I used the English, Russian and Hungarian literature on the topic as a secondary source. In order to set up my results, I used other theories and approaches as well. Among these, I would highlight Béla Balassa’s Theory of Economic Integration (1961) which provided a framework to European processes at that time. I examined the economic structure of the union based on his stages of integration. As the EAEU can be seen as an emerging new regional integration, I would like to highlight the principle of historical institutionalism, which emphasizes the role of time in accordance with the functioning of institutions. Furthermore, for the analysis of international stage, it is essential to map the EAEU in the China-EAEU-EU nexus since currently the Eurasian integration depends to a large extent on the powers around it. The Eurasian Economic Union can be seen as a response to the European Union. Indeed, the EAEU has tried to draw a great deal of experience from the EU’s experience, and its structure. It can be stated that structurally it is trying to follow the EU’s path in the integration process. These points make comparison inevitable between the EAEU and the EU. Even though it had a rapid development in the first years, it cannot be considered as a well-functioning regional integration. There are several problems with the institutional framework of the EAEU. The national interests of the member states hinder the further integration. Based on the European framework, a Eurasian parliament could be a solution to deepen the integration. However, it is unlikely that a parliament will be established in the near future. In terms of goals, the Eurasian integration was not only created directly as a response to the European union, but it also seeks to balance China’s growing influence. For this reason, Eurasian integration can be examined in the China-EU-EAEU triangle. Russia can easily find itself trapped between two major powers. In this regard, China’s growing influence poses a greater threat to the Russian-led EAEU than the European Union’s actions. Particular attention is paid to China’s One Belt One Road transcontinental project and its relationship with Central Asia. The EAEU can be also paralleled in many ways as a kind of restoration of the post-Soviet space. In this context, historical comparison is appropriate which also brings to the surface a number of economic problems. Russia is so heavily weighted within the Union that trade is concentrated mostly in Moscow which makes economic relations negligible between the member states. The Soviet economy could be similarly characterized during the USSR period. Unlike in the Soviet period, member states are not isolated from international, global processes. There are many international organizations (WTO, OSCE) in EAEU member states. For this reason, it can be stated that Moscow fails to find the balance between cooperation and domination. The EAEU, as a regional integration, needs enlargement. The union communicates that any state can join the EAEU. Obviously, post-Soviet states could easily be included in Moscow’s “Greater Eurasia” narrative. Among the countries with observer status, the accession of Uzbekistan is considered the most likely in the near future. However, it does not mean that the union is ready for further enlargement. The preparation of the thesis started before the Russian-Ukrainian war, therefore the results can be interpreted in this prism. However, as the topic of thesis also concerns the Russian-Ukrainian relations, it was inevitable to mention the possible effects of the current processes in certain parts. The outcome of the war is not clear, so it is not known which scenario will take shape. In any case, it is certain that the war will have a significant impact on the future of Eurasian integration.

Intézmény

Budapesti Gazdasági Egyetem

Kar

Külkereskedelmi Kar

Tanszék

Nemzetközi Kapcsolatok Tanszék

Tudományterület/tudományág

NEM RÉSZLETEZETT

Szak

Nemzetközi Tanulmányok

Konzulens(ek)

Mű típusa:	diplomadolgozat (NEM RÉSZLETEZETT)
Kulcsszavak:	EAEU, integration processes, international institutional structure, post-soviet space, regional integration
SWORD Depositor:	Archive User
Felhasználói azonosító szám (ID):	Archive User
Rekord készítés dátuma:	2022. Okt. 11. 09:49
Utolsó módosítás:	2022. Okt. 12. 08:37

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