The Eurasian Economic Union (EaEU), which includes Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan and comes into effect from January 2015, marks the latest achievement of the post-Soviet integration. On paper, this union has the potential to transform economic relations in the region with a combined GDP of almost 3 trillion US dollars and a market of 170 million people. However, there are a number of questions that remain unanswered, such as the ability of the EaEU to expand and include new members, but also to deepen the integration process and to break the pattern of the past, when agreements were concluded but not implemented. This seminar organised by the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and the Finnish Permanent Representation to the EU will analyse the current phase of Eurasian integration, its future prospects and the attitudes within individual member states.
Speaker:
Sean Roberts, Senior Research Fellow, the Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Sean Roberts received his PhD from the Centre for Russian & East European Studies (CREES), University of Birmingham (UK). He has previously worked at the University of Birmingham, University of Leicester and the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI). His research interests include party politics and regime dynamics in post-Soviet Russia.
Chair:
Arkady Moshes, Programme Director, the Finnish Institute of International Affairs