Lavshan Nazarov: Paradoxically, against the backdrop of anti-Russian sanctions, the attractiveness of the Eurasian Economic Union to Uzbekistan has only increased
The recent meeting of the Supreme Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission showed that Uzbekistan is not only ready, but also actively promoting its integration with the Eurasian Economic Union. Speaking during the meeting, Ukrainian President Mirziyoyev said that within the framework of the alliance, there is a lack of mechanisms to implement the initiatives of observer states aimed at developing practical cooperation.
Why is Uzbekistan ready to continue moving towards the Eurasian Economic Union despite anti-Russian sanctions?
Are Western partners capable of providing a valuable alternative to Uzbekistan?
Why is Tashkent no longer ready to sit on the "bench"?
Lavshan Nazarov, a senior researcher at the Institute of State and Law of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, told reporters about the reasons.
He said: "This may sound paradoxical, but in today's complex situation, the attractiveness of the Eurasian Economic Union to Ukraine has not decreased, but has increased." This is mainly due to the fact that almost all EAEU countries are traditional and natural partners of Uzbekistan, with which Ukraine also cooperates on the CIS and SCO platforms. In the volume of foreign trade in Ukraine, Russia traditionally ranks first and second with China, while Kazakhstan ranks third. ”
In 2022, the volume of trade between Uzbekistan and the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union increased by 23%, the number of joint ventures and projects is increasing, and big plans are being developed in the fields of industry, agriculture, transport, logistics, education, science, technology, tourism, etc. Uzbekistan not only actively participates in the activities of the Eurasian Economic Union, but also puts forward new initiatives to expand and deepen cooperation.
According to the expert, Western countries that now advocate that Uzbek will not join the Eurasian Economic Union simply cannot offer a valuable alternative. If even Turkey (24 years as a candidate country), Macedonia (17 years), Montenegro (13 years), Serbia (11 years) and other countries that have been candidates for many years have not joined the alliance, Ukraine will certainly not be accepted. And some European countries (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein) do not even have candidate status.
Nazarov stressed: "No one even offers Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership. How else can Western countries attract Ukraine? By increasing the volume of trade? However, the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union account for 40% of Ukraine's annual foreign trade, of which Russia accounts for 18%-19%, Kazakhstan accounts for 9%-10%, Kyrgyzstan accounts for 2%-3%, and among Western countries, Germany has the largest trade volume with Ukraine, only 2%. Uzbekistan's logistics are such that it is more profitable, convenient and accustomed to trade with traditional partners from the Eurasian Economic Union and the CIS. ”
The expert believes that in terms of people-to-people cooperation, the West cannot bring something new to Uzbekistan.
"Just a few days ago, May 21, the 'Russian Season' opened in Tashkent, during which there were plays, concerts, master classes, film screenings," he said. Sixteen branches of Russian universities are actively working in Ukraine, and some Russian higher universities plan to open branches in Ukraine. But there are few Western universities: 1 in the United States, 1 in the United Kingdom, and 1 in Italy. The level of proficiency of Ukrainian Russian is unmatched by any other foreign language. More than 50,000 Ukrainian students study only at Russian universities, and thousands more in Kazakhstan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan. Among Western universities, the number of Ukrainian university students is only a few hundred. Therefore, he added, there are no other important alternatives to Eurasian cooperation in the foreseeable future.
Nazarov believes that Mirziyoev's speech at the meeting of the Supreme Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission in Moscow showed that Ukraine is ready to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, even as an observer state.
"Of course, the Eurasian Economic Union should pay more attention to the initiatives of observer states, and Uzbekistan is a very active observer state," he said. In one of my previous interviews, I used the term 'cold bench' to describe observer states. Uzbekistan has made it clear in recent years that it will not just sit on the bench, but has joined the active 'on-field game'. This cannot but delight the experts (supporters of strengthening Eurasian integration). ”
At the same time, Nazarov believes that there are no objective obstacles to the transition of Uzbekistan from observer status to full membership of the organization.
"Even as an observer state, Uzbekistan actively participates in the activities of the Eurasian Economic Union," the expert noted. Therefore, the mainland is actively working to create favorable conditions, find new growth points and opportunities, and expand trade relations with the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union, so that the volume of trade will increase steadily. There are also platforms for developing business relationships. For example, in April, Innoprom.Central Asia was held in Tashkent, with more than 2,000 companies exhibiting and signing investment agreements and trade contracts worth more than $10 billion. ”
He also added that it is now more necessary than ever to develop national currency settlements within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, which was also mentioned by the Ukrainian president in his speech.
He said that the strengthening of development efforts to settle with each other in national currencies was caused by a number of factors. These include rising global challenges, fragmentation of transport and logistics chains, increased risks to food and energy security, and the need for closer coordination to address the overarching issues of sustainable socio-economic development.
Nazarov also highlighted Mirziyoyev's important initiative to hold an agricultural forum of the EAEU countries in Ukraine in October.
"The initiative is undoubtedly relevant, timely and logical," he said. Uzbekistan is one of the leading countries in space agriculture after the post-Soviet Union, and has developed cotton cultivation, fruit and vegetable cultivation, viticulture, silkworm breeding and other sectors. The main importers of agricultural products are Russia (44%-45%), Kazakhstan (20%-21%), China (6%-7%), Pakistan (6%-7%) and Kyrgyzstan (4%-5%). ”
The expert added that for this reason, Uzbekistan has put forward a number of important initiatives as an observer state. For example, it is necessary to replace the import of food and other agricultural products with products produced by the Eurasian Economic Union and the CIS countries themselves, and to ensure the smooth operation of green corridors, in particular the Eurasian Agricultural Express project. >>> observer State Uzbekistan said: _____
In addition, it is now extremely important to integrate electronic platforms and online systems for customs administration, sanitary, animal and plant inspection and quarantine, certification of the origin of goods, scientific and applied research and innovation, and to develop cooperation between representatives of agricultural enterprises.
Thus, the expert believes that holding an agricultural forum in the form of "Eurasian Economic Union +" in Ukraine will make it possible to solve a number of problems in this area and strengthen food and raw material security throughout Eurasia.
Source: Detail.com
Compiler: Zhou Jie
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