Experts from member nations of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) consider that Tajikistan will rather win than will loss from joining the Union.  Tajikistan is still thinking.  

Organized by the Office of Russia’s Development Foundation “Institute for Eurasian Studies” under support of Russia’s Trade Representative Office in Tajikistan and Russia’s Embassy in Dushanbe, a roundtable formally titled “Integration of Central Asia’s Nations into the EAEU: Realties and Prospects” took place in Dushanbe on November 22. 

The meeting discussed issues related to Tajikistan’s joining the Eurasian Economic Union, the findings of surveys on this subject and the current state of the Eurasian integration project.  

The meeting participants include experts, researchers, politicians, representatives of business circles of Tajikistan and Russia as well as senior representatives of diplomatic missions of the EAEU member nations accredited in Tajikistan.

Speaking at the meeting, the Russian Ambassador to Tajikistan Igor Lyakin-Frolov noted that all would win from the new union.

According to him, the Eurasian economic commission has already received more than 40 proposals on establishing a single free trade regime.

Representative of the Institute of Economics and Demography of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, Ms. Mavzouna Karimova, noted that with joining the EAEU Tajikistan would be able to achieve growth in production of textile goods, building materials, and export of agricultural goods.

“Besides, Tajikistan’s joining the EAEU will help solve many problems facing our labor migrants,” Ms. Karimova noted.

Recall, the head of the Customs Service under the Government of Tajikistan, Abdufattoh Ghoib told reporters in Dushanbe on July 19 that they had been studying the issue of entry and “The working group has prepared all necessary materials and submitted them for consideration to the government.”

Earlier in July, Leonid Slutsky, a member of the Russian State Duma — chairman of the Committee on the Commonwealth of Independent States, Eurasian Integration, and Links with Compatriots — said that Tajikistan would soon announce its intention to join the EAEU.  Slutsky said, “I think Dushanbe will declare its wish within the next year — it [Tajikistan] seeks after this more than any other CIS nation.”

Meanwhile, Tajik Ambassador to Belarus, Mr. Qozidavlat Qoimdodov, considers that Tajikistan needs time to thoroughly study the issue of joining the Eurasian Economic Union.

“Countries certainly should join together, but they need to do this bearing in mind their own interests.  It is wrong to join unions blindly, without much thought.  Tajikistan and Belarus are members of certain economic and political blocs,” Tajik diplomat told Belarusian state-run news agency BelTA in an interview last month.

At the same time, he noted that the EAEU member nations were major trading partners of Tajikistan.

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is an economic union of states located primarily in northern Eurasia.  A treaty aiming for the establishment of the EAEU was signed on May 29, 2014 by the leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, and came into force on January 1, 2015. Treaties aiming for Armenia's and Kyrgyzstan's accession to the Eurasian Economic Union were signed on October 9 and December 23, 2014, respectively.  Armenia's accession treaty came into force on January 2, 2015.  Kyrgyzstan's accession treaty came into effect on August 6, 2015. It participated in the EAEU from the day of its establishment as an acceding state.