The project of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) was worked out as a regional integration project competing with the EU Eastern Partnership Program. The statement came from Steven Blockmans, the head of the 'EU foreign policy' and 'politics and institutions' units of CEPS (Center of European Policy Studies), in an online press conference in response to ArmInfo's question.
From the political viewpoint, Putin's Russia could probably have changed Armenia's path from the EU to the EEU by means of economic pressure and security threats. However, the diplomat thinks that the integration being built on fear and blackmail is unlikely to be more successful than the model based on common interests and the readiness to delegate part of its sovereign powers.
As compared to the indices of the early phases of the European integration process, the results of the Russian-led Customs Union and the common economic space will demonstrate rather unfavorable prospects for the Eurasian economic integration.
The online interview was organized as part of the Region Research Center's project "Topical Dialogues for Armenian Media."