EEU gradually loses trust among citizens of union countries

The Eurasian Economic Union still enjoys a significant level of trust and support from the population of its five countries (from 50 to 83 percent), as well as Tajikistan (69 percent). But the positive attitude towards Eurasian integration is smoothly decreasing, according to the report of the analysts of the Eurasian Development Bank «Integration barometer EDB-2017», to which the agency REGNUM refers.

As noted, during the first years of the existence of the EEU (2015-2017), the most significant decline in public support for participation in the union was in Russia (from 78 to 68 percent of the population) and Armenia (from 56 to 50 percent).

In other EEU countries, public support for Eurasian integration was moderately reduced: in Kazakhstan from 80 to 76 percent, in Belarus from 60 to 56 percent.

Analysts of the bank believe that since 2015 Kyrgyzstan’s population demonstrates the most positive attitude towards membership in the EEU, which during this time has changed insignificantly — from 86 to 83 percent. But in 2014, only 50 percent of the country’s population supported the republic’s accession to the union, and 30 percent opposed it.

The authors of the report consider as «phenomenal» a high level of social ties between the countries of the union and trust towards each other, including Russia, which is considered an indispensable integration capital.

Answering the question, which countries, in the respondents’ opinion, are friendly and capable of supporting their country in a difficult moment, the majority, as in the past five years of observations, spoke in favor of the CIS region.

At the same time, Russia continues to be a leader in the perception of all respondents as a friendly state: on average, 76 percent of respondents were named the most friendly country by the six countries surveyed. On the second place is Kazakhstan (31 percent), on the third — Belarus (21 percent).

The countries of the EEU and Tajikistan are characterized by the highest penetration of mutual social ties in the world: from 51 to 80 percent (excluding Russia) of their population stated that they have constantly maintained ties with relatives, friends, colleagues from the countries of the CIS region. This is the highest level of social ties in the world.

The highest rates in 2017 were recorded in Kyrgyzstan (80 percent), Armenia (79 percent) and Tajikistan (66 percent). In Russia, 31 percent of the population supports social networks in neighboring countries in the CIS region. This is also a very high indicator, given the comparative figures of the population.

As noted, EDB experts carried out surveys among the population in mid-2017.