Benefits of EEU and why did Nazarbayev Get Angry?
Tuleutay Suleymanov, former Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan (1991-1994), Ambassador, academician, is sure that EEU isn’t a politicized union, and as it was initially stated, by involving in this union, the country will lose political independence, sovereignty, was a lie.
“We are independent, we keep our language, economy, budget, we only work in the field of economy. Economic integration is limited, on the 8th horizontal. As for the political one, I’m sorry but it should be ‘stopped’ here,” T.Suleymanov said.
In his words this integration organization is necessary for the countries, which became a member country, for instance, Kazakhstan is intensively developing, commodities are exported to many countries, they’re being consumed in neighboring countries, where formerly there were no such possibilities in the market, “Through establishment of the union, our market increased by 200 million people. The whole world moves to the direction of economic integration.”
As for the reasons for threats by the president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev to leave the union, T.Suleymanov conditioned it by “not sufficiently pondered negotiations” during the Customs Union, and as a result of which Russian market was still close for Kazakhstani production.
Regarding what is necessary to move Armenia-Kazakhstan trade turnover from almost 0 condition and to activate it, T.Suleymanov considers that it depends on the environment and businessmen, who should be more active. He brought the example, that there is an Armenia-Kazakhstan joint enterprise in Almaty, which produces Armenian brandy, and although people of Kazakhstan drink vodka and wine more, Armenian brandy is also demanded.
It should be noted that in private talks, far from the circles of the authorities, people of Kazakhstan weren’t so contently expressing of the benefits of EEU. They were particularly concerned with not far future of common currency, as they considered by that Kazakhstani tenge will be destroyed and only Russians will appear in favorable positions.
By Gayane Khachatryan
