Updated at 17:53,27-03-2024

Andrei Fedorov: I'm afraid there is nothing good to expect

UDF.BY

"I'm afraid, there is nothing good to expect, because we will have to submit to Russian economic conditions", international observer Andrei Fedorov expressed this opinion to UDF.BY on signed agreements by Medvedev, Lukashenko and Nazarbaev on 18 November.

"With the entry of Russia into the WTO, Belarus will have to compete not only with Russian carmakers of heavy trucks, but also with European", the expert made an example.

At the same time, Andrei Fedorov believes that, "also there are some advantages of this integration movement".

"Probably, their main hope is, that they will get the same energy prices as in Russia. But I think, it's very unlikely", the analyst said.

Andrei Fedorov points out that "this integration complicates the road of Belarus towards the integration with Europe".

"But perhaps it's prematurely to say, that some barrier is lowered. I think, that within the CU disagreements will happen, and then Belarus will need some external support. And a strong support it can get only from the West", the expert said.

As UDF.BY reported earlier, the heads of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan on Friday in the Kremlin signed the Declaration on the Eurasian Economic Integration and the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Commission.

The Declaration states a transition to the next stage of the integrative construction - the Common Economic Space (CES), based on norms and principles of the WTO and opened for accession by other states at any stage of its formation.

The document also identifies further ways of the integrative cooperation in the format of "a triplet". The ultimate goal is the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union.

In accordance with the signed contract on the Eurasian Economic Commission, it is endowed with functions to manage processes of integration in the format of the CU and the CES, and should start its work on 1 January 2012.