West may benefit from strong Eurasian economic union, expert says

YEREVAN, May 22. / ARKA /. Economically the European Union may benefit from the establishment of the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union, according to Ashot Tavadyan, head of the Mathematical Modeling in Economics Department at the State Economic University of Armenia.

Speaking at a round table on the Eurasian integration and global changes, he said the West will not take any special step to impede the full formation of this union. 

'The European Union may even benefit from it because it makes negotiations on economic issues with European Union's neighbors in the east easier. EU's reaction to Armenia's U-turn and its accession to the Eurasian Economic Union show that the West is not going to impede its full establishment,' he said.

According to him, neither the Eurasian Economic Union, nor the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) pose any threat to the interests of the US or EU in terms of defense.

"Quite the contrary, without increasing significantly Russia's potential, these organizations counter the threat of terrorist groups from the south, which are hostile first of all to the West,»  said Tavadyan.

The round table for young journalists, economists and political scientists was held at the initiative of the Eurasian Club of Experts and Noravank think tank.

EEU created on the basis of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space, came into force on January 1. Its members are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. Kyrgyzstan is set to join it on May 29.-0-