Relations between Ukraine and the Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC), consisting of Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan, are the subject of heated debates, which intensified after Kyiv and Chisinau were granted the status of EAEC observer last May. While some politicians and experts view Ukraine’s possible EAEC membership as a renunciation of its declared European choice, others say there is a difference between strategic and tactical goals in the economy and foreign policy. The community’s Secretary General Grigory Rapota has visited Ukraine in order to explain at various including top levels what the Eurasian Economic Community is and what its objectives are. The EAEC’s highest executive, Lieutenant-General (Retired) of the Intelligence Service Grigory RAPOTA, agreed to grant an interview to our newspaper.
“Have you managed to accomplish what you intended in Kyiv?”
“As soon as the five presidents decided on May 13 last year to grant Ukraine observer status, it became imperative to establish cooperation between the EAEC integration committee secretariat and the appropriate structures in Kyiv. Naturally, the first person I wanted to meet to discuss the cooperation format was the president of Ukraine. I had requested in a letter that he receive me, he reacted quickly and positively, and I am very grateful to him that we met. Of course, the president had his own very specific questions about the EAEC, especially the free trade area and interaction with other international organizations. I tried to give the most exhaustive answers to these questions. We agreed on the format of interaction: the Ukrainian side had been aware of this quite simple and well documented format even earlier, but it was necessary to concretize some details about personalities and structures. The essence of this interaction is that Ukraine as an EAEC observer has the right to participate in all the many projects we carry out. We will give Ukraine all the documents and invite it to all our sessions, while it is up to Ukraine to choose whether or not to take part in them. By all accounts, Ukraine wants to take some part in everything in order to learn in detail what the EAEC does.”
“What do EAEC member states have to coordinate and what do they have to give up?”
“Suffice it to say that, before making a foreign trade decision at the national level, a country informs other EAEC members about it. For example, it Russia wants to raise or lower duties on a certain variety of goods: before making a decision, it will send a communication to all the EAEC members and they will express their views. If there are objections, we bring into play the mechanism of consultations, make changes, and work out a mutually acceptable decision.
“The EAEC member states have now agreed on mutual consultations about WTO membership: if a state is to join this organization, it must take into account not only its own interests but also those of other states, with which it maintains commercial and economic relations.
“We have decided to cancel by September the antidumping procedures, which EAEC countries apply to each other. If a country waives its antidumping action, this means it agrees to let a commodity, which it believes has a dumping price, enter its market and move freely. We are to work out by September a mechanism to protect national markets without resorting to any kind of protectionist measures.”
“Why have the EAEC member states not yet helped or, as many believe, do not want to help set up a CIS free trade area?”
“The EAEC countries are not supposed to set up a CIS free trade area. Their goal is to set up an EAEC free trade area. For example, Russia and Belarus have already established a free trade area. The point is this raises certain problems as far as practical implementation is concerned, although everything has been sealed in legal terms. But there is no area of free trade with Ukraine. This was also the subject of today’s discussion: this situation needs to be clarified. The prime minister and I decided to engage our respective experts in an effort to unravel this knot.”
“Whether Ukraine is interested in full EAEC membership is being discussed in Kyiv. But is the EAEC interested in Ukraine’s membership?”
“Naturally. I think Ukraine, a country with a powerful economic potential and human resources, would harmoniously complement the EAEC. Of course, it is up to Ukraine to decide, but we are keeping the door open for it. Should Ukraine desire to become a full member, we will welcome this and do our utmost to ensure as smooth an entry as possible.
“Of course, everything is relative in this world. Any kind of alliances in the post-Soviet space are alliances of rather poor states. Russia also is not one of the most prosperous countries. Nevertheless, we can complement each other very well. What is Ukraine? It is high technologies, energy resources such as coal, farm produce, mechanical engineering, aviation technologies, and many other things. Besides, no matter how hard fate tried to disunite us, real life compels us to stick together: we still maintain quite a high level of complementary production, cultural cooperation, the human factor, etc. It’s easy to destroy but hard to create. The question is not about reestablishing the Soviet Union. In truth, I’ve never heard about this either in Russia, in Belarus, or in any other place. Now it is going to be a community of equal states that respect one another, where each partner can enjoy the sensation of its own dignity. It is only on this basis that something can be built. There can be no diktat here. I am not saying this for propaganda, I am deeply convinced in this.
“Foreign policy remains the private preserve of each member state. Each country, especially such a big one as Ukraine, has several foreign political and foreign economic vectors which can coexist quite well — there’s no other way. In my opinion, Ukraine should try to gain benefit for its national economy and security in any possible direction. It is up to the politicians to ensure harmonious development.”
