ArmInfo.The global confrontation between the collective West and Russia urgently dictates, among other things, the acceleration of integration processes in order to minimize the damage from this global confrontation.
This was stated on December 26 during the Eighth Annual Meeting of the Eurasian Expert Club and within the framework of the conference on the topic: "Actual Directions for the Development of Integration Processes in the Post-Soviet Space" by the coordinator of the Eurasian Expert Club, political analyst Aram Safaryan.
In this vein, he recalled that at the last summit in Bishkek, the heads of state discussed the possibility of forming a common gas market and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) plans to launch a common energy space, a common gas space and a common oil space as early as 2025.
According to him, another direction will be industrial cooperation, which was discussed by the five countries in Bishkek. "It seems that the requirements of import substitution, the creative search for new opportunities for the development of industry, urgently dictates the search for new, fresh, I would like to emphasize - non-standard solutions that can eliminate our overall economic gap as a result of global hybrid wars," Safaryan said.
At the same time, he stated that the main task of Eurasian economic integration is to improve the welfare of the population of the allied countries. In this vein, he recalled that at the beginning of this year, leading experts of the Eurasian Expert Club forecasted a high GDP growth rate in 2022.
"Our bold forecasts, most likely, will be realized at the end of the year, and our country will record a high level of growth in economic activity by world standards, as well as a level of GDP growth. Although the Armenian economy is booming, but in society as a whole, there is no euphoria from these realities. Why? Because, apparently, by another forecast, World Bank's forecast, the poverty rate of the population will increase to 42%. This means that almost half of our population does not feel the results of economic growth, and poverty in the country continues to generate poverty on an alarming scale," the analyst noted, citing the continuation of the policy of supporting economic development in order to maintain the pace of development as a solution to this global problem.
At the same time, he stated that the global confrontation between the West and Russia has given rise to many new realities that affect our economic and political reality.
"More than 100,000 economic migrants entered Armenia. Armenia got the opportunity to increase its exports to Russia. And this is very impressive. Armenia has become the arena of serious battles between adherents of various geopolitical vectors. We could not save our country from the great temptation to be involved in the global confrontation between the West and Russia. Now our main task is not to lose the experience that was formed thanks to friendship, cooperation, and partnership in the alliance, which we have accumulated during the 30 post-Soviet years. The threat of deterioration of the level of alliance and cooperation between Armenia and Russia is obvious to everyone," the analyst said.
In this vein, he noted that they have a lot to do both in promoting the national interests of Armenia in the post-Soviet space, and in agreeing on generally acceptable positions for harmonious development and strategic alliance.
"I am convinced that there are no issues where Armenia and Russia cannot fail to develop a common position. We just need competent work, we need a compassionate attitude, we need the ability and desire to make a contribution to the development and deepening of the strategic union," Safaryan summed up.
