Experts Discussed Integration and Cooperation Across the Eurasian Space
On May 14, HSE University hosted a round table titled "The Eurasian Space: Index of Integration and Multilateral Cooperation Formats", which brought together leading experts, representatives of the academic community, and various speakers from Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia. The event provided a platform for participants to share ideas on the future of Eurasian integration and multilateral cooperation.
Victoria Panova, Head of the BRICS Expert Council–Russia and Vice Rector of HSE University opened the meeting with remarks underscoring the critical role the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) plays as an intergovernmental group dedicated to assisting its member states in achieving a more dynamic and intensive pace of development. The EAEU has demonstrated its viability and vitality, with foreign trade turnover among its member states nearly doubling over the past 10 years, rising from $45 billion to $89 billion, thus highlighting the importance of exchanging experience and best practices among member states of both the BRICS and the EAEU. "Together, we will identify growth areas that merit increased focus and attention. It's crucial to pinpoint any bottlenecks and find ways to address them. This will help us enhance existing mechanisms for cooperation and propose new ideas for further development. Among the achievements of the EAEU we can enumerate the adoption of the Customs Code, the conclusion of free trade agreements with a number of third countries, and the transition to trading in national currencies. All of this tells us that the Eurasian Economic Union can and should serve as a focal point of attention for analysts and researchers," Dr. Panova said. She emphasized that trade conducted in the national currencies of EAEU member states now accounts for 90% of all trade carried out within the economic union, which points to a clearly positive trend.
The roundtable was moderated by Nurlan Kulbatyrov, Deputy Director of the QazTrade Trade Policy Development Centre under Kazakhstan's Ministry of Trade and Integration. He also emphasized the importance of ongoing analysis and assessment of integration processes within the Eurasian space, concurring with the Head of the BRICS Expert Council-Russia that an integration index and other metrics are critical tools for measuring progress and identifying areas for further development.
Alexander Daniltsev, Director of the HSE University Institute of Trade Policy, delivered a report titled "The Aggregate Index of the Depth of Integration Processes in Trade Activity Across the EAEU Space". He highlighted that trade integration among EAEU member states is continuously strengthening, noting concrete achievements in the area of tariff and non-tariff liberalization, as well as in the development of common markets for goods and services. The report evoked strong interest among roundtable participants, sparking a spirited discussion of Mr Daniltsev's findings.
The roundtable discussion also touched upon issues concerning the development of technology and markets, the service complementarity index, and the transfer of global experience for use across the EAEU. In their presentations, many speakers noted the importance of multilateral cooperation and integration-oriented initiatives for bolstering the economic potential and prosperity of countries across the Eurasian space.
In concluding the meeting, the roundtable participants summarized the key points of the discussion and noted the need to continue the dialogue and joint work toward achieving still greater success in the areas of Eurasian integration and multilateral cooperation.