Tag Archives: Eurasian Economic Union

Kazakhstan extends ban Russian oil products

MAY 26 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kazakhstan extended a ban on the import of higher grade oil- products from Russia until June 20, the ministry of energy said, potentially enflaming a growing trade row between the two neighbours.

This is the second extension to the ban on A92/93 diesel fuel, first imposed for 40 days on March 5 to protect domestic producers against cheap Russian imports.

The Russian rouble has roughly halved in value over the past year, mainly because of the slump in oil prices, while the Kazakh Central Bank has defended its currency vigorously.

This created a large imbal- ance in prices.

This year Moscow and Astana have banned various products under the guise of breaking health regulations. In reality, though, Commentators have said the various ban on foodstuffs has been a low-level trade war.

The irony is that Kazakhstan and Russia are supposed to have reduced trade barriers after the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union which also includes Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.

Separately, the Kazakh energy ministry also announced it was increasing petrol prices slightly.

The government controls petrol prices. It has previously reduced them.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 233, published on May 28 2015)

EU wants deal with Armenia

MAY 19 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Less than two years after Armenia appeared to turn its back on the EU by agreeing to sign up to the Kremlin-led Eurasian Economic Union, the EU wants to start negotiating a new treaty to deepen political and economic ties with Yerevan, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty quoted an unnamed official in Brussels as saying.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 232, published on May 20 2015)

Kyrgyzstan joins EEU

MAY 9 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – The Kremlin-led Eurasian Eco- nomic Union officially signed up Kyrgyzstan as its fifth member after Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia. Before Kyrgyzstan actually joins, though, the Kyrgyz parliament has to ratify the deal. Kyrgyzstan is worried about the impact on its trade with China.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 231, published on May 13 2015)

Kazakh President backs EEU

MAY 9 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev said the Kremlin-led Eurasian Economic Union had a strong future despite current trade problems. Mr Nazarbayev made the comments after meeting Russian president Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Kazakhstan and Russia have erected trade barriers over the past few months.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 231, published on May 13 2015)

Kyrgyzstan will miss EEU deadline

APRIL 30 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kyrgyzstan will miss a May 8 deadline to join the Kremlin- led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), the new PM Temir Sariyev said. Kyrgyzstan still plans to join but not until the end of the month. Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia are already members.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 230, published on May 6 2015)

Kazakhstan bans Russian poultry

APRIL 30 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kazakhstan banned poultry products from Russia after the Russian ministry of agriculture identified an outbreak of Bird Flu on the Caspian Sea near the Kazakh border.

Some analysts and media pundits, though, said Kazakhstan’s speedy ban on poultry goods from Russia was an escalation of a trade war.

Although both Kazakhstan and Russia are members of the Eurasian Economic Union, a Kremlin-led club supposed to smooth trade in the region, the fall in the value of the Russian rouble has increased tension. Businesses in Kazakhstan have been lobbying the government to impose barriers against the now far-cheaper goods from Russia.

It has banned oil-product imports as well as butter, chocolate, sweets and mayonnaise to defend jobs and companies. In retaliation, Russia has banned flour and dairy products from Kazakhstan.

Both governments have denied they are involved in a trade war and have instead insisted that various bans have been triggered by health concerns.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 230, published on May 6 2015)

Russia pressured Armenia to join EEU, says parliament

APRIL 1 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Russia used its control of gas supplies to Armenia to pressure the government into joining its Eurasian Economic Union, a parliamentary inquiry has said.

The inquiry said Russia increased gas prices to Armenia until it agreed to join the Eurasian Economic Union in 2013.

The findings are strong evidence that Russia uses its economic leverage over Central Asia and the South Caucasus for political gain.

Also in the past week, Russia approved a $1 billion development fund for Kyrgyzstan. This, again, appears linked to Kyrgyzstan’s entry to the Eurasian Economic Union later this year.

The West has long said the Kremlin’s aim in the region is to coerce governments into doing its bidding.

In Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, it has found vulnerable partners. Both are relatively poor with few natural resources. They both host Russian military bases and are reliant on Russian business and remittances from workers living in Russia for growth.

Importantly too, Gazprom owns the gas pipeline network in both Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. This has often been the choke point. Controlling a country’s gas supply gives Russia huge power.

There is one other major similarity between Armenia and Kyrgyzstan regarding membership of the Eurasian Economic Union. Bulletin correspondents in both countries report that most ordinary people, and also many of the politicians, don’t really want to join the group. Instead, they feel compelled to.

Belarus and Kazakhstan, both far larger economies, are also members of the EEU.
ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 225, published on April 12015)

Russia creates fund for Kyrgzstan

MARCH 27 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Russia has approved a law that will create a Russia-Kyrgyzstan development fund worth $1b, media reported. Kyrgyzstan has agreed to join the Kremlin-led Eurasian Economic Union later this year and it is likely that the fund’s creation was linked to Kyrgyz membership of the group.
ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 225, published on April 12015)

Russia gives Armenia $47m sweetner

MARCH 25 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Russia will give Armenia $47m as a sweetener for joining the Kremlin-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), media reported. Armenia joined the EEU on Jan. 1 but has yet to fully embrace it. Armenia’s president, Serzh Saargsyan, ducked out of a meeting of EEU heads of state last week.
ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 224, published on March 25 2015)

Putin clears Kyrgyzstan for Eurasian Union accession

MARCH 24 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a protocol that officially cleared Kyrgyzstan’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) later this year, Russian media reported. Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia are already members of the EEU.
ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 224, published on March 25 2015)