RATIONALE? FOR ECONOMIC UNION.

Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Economic Relations Minister Oleg Davydov argues that the CIS countries "must in the immediate future" enter into an economic union with Russia, lest their goods be pushed out of ex-Soviet markets by superior Western goods. He predicts that Western exports will lose access to Central Europe through the creation of a protected market there, resulting in increased "pressure" on CIS markets. Member countries can however find salvation in a single, "reserved" market protecting "internal" producers. The view that the countries’ widely disparate approaches to reform would preclude an economic union is "correct in theory but wrong in practice" and must not be allowed to delay CIS integration. Finally, "accelerated integration corresponds to the member countries’ national security interests" while "refusal would undermine the national security of each CIS country." (16)

1. Reuter and Interfax, Oct. 4

2. Itar-Tass, Public TV, Russia’s Radio, October 4-5

3. Itar-Tass, Interfax, Public TV, October 4 and 5

4. Itar-Tass, Public TV, October 5

5. Itar-Tass, Public TV, Russian TV, Russia’s Radio, October 4-5

6. Itar-Tass, Interfax, Public TV, October 3 through 5

7. Itar-Tass, Public TV, October 3 and 4

8. Public TV, October 5

9. Interfax, Oct. 4

10. Segodnya, Oct. 3

11. Reuter, Oct. 3 and Interfax, Oct. 4

12. Interfax-Ukraine and Itar-Tass, October 2, 3., and 4

13. Petroleum Information Agency, October 4

14. Itar-Tass, October 4

15. Itar-Tass, October 4

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