VoR Diplomatic Club: integration on the agenda

Participants in the ‘Europe-Asia Cooperation: prospects and challenges’ forum have discussed Eurasian cooperation prospects and threats and challenges faced by the region.

Integration is essential for economic growth and Eurasia is already following this path having the Customs Union between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan and the single economic space.

Armenia, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Moldavia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have signed an agreement on free trade within CIS, though Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are yet to ratify the document.

Russia’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Denisov believes that this could be done by the end of the year:

“We find the agreement especially significant and the majority of the countries present at the forum have already fulfilled all requirements for it to come into force and we hope the remaining countries will join us by the end of the year”, the diplomat said.

The Customs Union is bearing fruit: trade turnover between Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia is steadily growing. It increased by 40% in the last 18 months but the sky is the limit, said Andrey Denisov. “The Customs Union is only about trade while the supreme form of integration is EU-like regional and economic integration which we now eye”.

Integration structures like European Union or Customs Union are open for membership and universal, not specifically oriented to Europe or Eurasia. Now, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are negotiating their ascension.

In this situation, everyone wanted to know Ukraine’s stance as it could have added 30 mln consumers to the common Customs Union market of 170 mln people.

Ukraine’s Ambassador Mr. Yelchenko said that now Ukrainian experts are estimating short and long term benefits of Ukraine’s membership either in the EU or the Customs Union. According to the diplomat, Ukraine is equally interested in interacting and finding its place with both.

The Ambassador added that some five years ago Ukraine mostly traded with the EU but today 42% of its trade is conducted with the Customs Union countries, namely 90% with Russia, and less than 30% with the EU, while trade with the CU is constantly growing.

The countries plan to launch the Eurasian economic union by 2015 and Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan see no direct challenges to this ambitious goal. The countries hope they will be joined by more members by that time.

“Integration is an attempt to resurrect the single economic space we used to have”, Andrey Denisov concluded the meeting.

Meeting of Diplomatic Club of the Voice of Russia in Moscow

 Diplomatic Club of the Voice of Russia’s meeting has started at its headquarters in Moscow. Ambassadors and other officials are to discuss Europe-Asia cooperation.

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19.00Diplomatic Club of the Voice of Russia’s meeting at its headquarters in Moscow is over.

18.39Counselor at Tajikistan's Embassy to RussiaRashidov has stated that Tajikistan was open for integration with its Eurasian partners.

18.38Suleyman Rashidov,Counselor at Tajikistan's Embassy to Russia, takes the word

18.37Petrishenko: the main aim of integration is to improve our citizen's welfare

Ukraine a welcomed member of Eurasia Union

Belarus's special envoy to Russia Igor Petrishenko stated that trade turnover between Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan has been steadily growing.

He said Ukraine would be a welcomed member of the Eurasian trade union.

He also said that Belarus guaranteed Russian expatriates the same rights and privileges in work and education as Belarusian citizens.

18.33Petrishenko: Our combined economic potential will allow us to face external challenges and threats

18.25Petrishenko: Trade turnover between Belarus,Kazakhstan and Russia is steadily growing.

^{Igor Petrishenko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Russia © Photo "The Voice of Russia"}

18.19 Igor Petrishenko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Russia, takes the word

Kazakh ambassador lauds trade relations with Russia

Galym Orazbakov, Kazakh Ambassador to Russia, stated in the Meeting of the Diplomatic Club of the Voice of Russia that a common economic zone was very profitable for the nation.

He said Kazakhstan could now enter the Russian market on equal terms. Mobile economics are very beneficial, he underscroed, adding that there existed positive prospects for a Russia-Kazakhstan economic integration.

Mr. Orazbakov also stressed Kazakhstan saw no threats in such tight cooperation.

^{Galym Orazbakov, Kazakh Ambassador to Russia © Photo "The Voice of Russia"}

18.18Orazbakov on integration: there are positive potential and we see no threat

18.14 Orazbakov: now we can enter in Russian market on equal terms

18.13Orazbakov: the formation of the common economic zone is very profitable for Kazakhstan

18.09Galym Orazbakov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Russia, takes the word

18.07Manaseryan: Armenia always stood for integration

^{Artur Manaseryan, Special Envoy and Minister Plenipotentiary of Embassy of Armenia to Russia © Photo "The Voice of Russia"}

18.06 Artur Manaseryan,Special Envoy and Minister Plenipotentiary of Embassy of Armenia to Russia, takes the word

18.03 Andrei Denisov, Russia’s First Deputy Foreign Minister, is speaking now.

18.01 Yelchenko: Ukraine's geografical positions doesn't allow it to be with EU or Europe-Asia Union

^{Vladimir Yelchenko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Russia © Photo "The Voice of Russia"}

18.00 Vladimir Yelchenko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Russia is speaking now

17.55 Denisov: EU doesn't perceive the Europe-Asian cooperation as an adequate trade partner

17.50 Germany's reunification no turning point in EU integration - Denisov

Rejected the notion that Germany's reunification had played a decisive role in the EU integration, Russia's first deputy foreign minister Denisov said in the Meeting of Diplomatic Club of the Voice of Russia

The participants have discussed multilateral economic and political cooperation in Eurasia as well as integration prospects in the region.

The forum was opened by Russia’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Denisov who confirmed Russia’s interest in economic integration with its neighbors and said that Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan already enjoy free movement of goods within the Customs Union. He added that Russia and Armenia also have close ties.

The diplomat set Russia’s next goal as the creation of the Eurasian economic union.

“Integration is an attempt to resurrect the single economic space we used to have”, Denisov stated.

17.48 Denisov: The reunification of Germany did not play a leading role in the EU Integration

17.42 Denisov: Russia has close relationship with Armenia

17.41 Denisov: Integration - is an attempt to restore the posititive experience of having the single economic space (USSR)

17.37 Denisov: everything is possible.But a bigger market can benefit integration

17.33 Denisov was asked whether the Union could be without Ukraine

17.29 Denisov spoke about the cooperation with Ukraine, stressing that nobody is forced to partnership.

17.27 Bigger market beneficial for integration - Denisov

During the Dimplomatic Club meeting at the Voice of Russia headquarters, Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Denisov underscroed the importance of strengthening bilateral relations between Europe and Asia.

"Together we are aiming at the common goal of establishing the Eurasian economic Union," he said, adding that by setting up a customs union its member states have secured a free circulation of goods between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. "A bigger market can benefit integration processes," he added. Inegration is an attempt to restore the single economic space. Mr. Denisov said.

^{Russia's first Deputy Foreign Minister Denisov © Photo "The Voice of Russia"}

17.25 Denisov: By creating the customs union, we have ensured the free movement of goods between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan

17.24Denisov: Together we are aiming at the common goal of creating the Eurasian Economic Union

17.22Diplomatic club: Russia's first Deputy Foreign Minister Denisov underscored the importance of Eurasian integration and cooperation

17.12 Before the meeting:

17.02 Members of the club will discuss multilateral Asia-Europe cooperation in the political, economic and other spheres

The Voice of Russia is holding the third Ambassadors’ Club session (Diplomatic Club of the Voice of Russia).

The previous two meetings in April and June 2012 focused on cooperation among BRICS member states and the current situation in the Middle East. Voice of Russia has been traditionally hosting these round table talks attended by Russia’s foreign officials, heads of diplomatic missions in Russia and members of home and foreign media.

Discussions at the Ambassadors’ Club hinge on most urgent issues faced by global politics and give their participants an opportunity to answer journalists’ questions and the Voice of Russia – to share with its million-strong audience an insight into different viewpoints on key modern problems.

Today’s discussion at the Ambassadors’ Club is titled Europe-Asia Cooperation: Prospect and Challenges. Its participants will talk about multilateral Asia-Europe cooperation in the political, economic and other spheres, prospects for Eurasian integration and possible formats of such cooperation.

Participants of the meeting include:

Andrei Denisov– Russia’s First Deputy Foreign Minister; Igor Petrishenko – Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Russia; Galym Orazbakov – Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Russia; Vladimir Yelchenko – Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Russia; Artur Manaseryan – Special Envoy and Minister Plenipotentiary of Embassy of Armenia to Russia; Vitaly Urekyan – Minister-Counselor at Moldova’s Embassy in Russia, Chargé d'Affaires a. i. of Moldova to Russia; Suleyman Rashidov – Counselor at Tajikistan's Embassy to Russia.

Members of the club will discuss multilateral Asia-Europe cooperation in the political, economic and other spheres, prospects for Eurasian integration and possible formats of such cooperation.