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Евразийское экономическое сообщество Eurasian Economic Community
Coat of arms of Eurasian Economic Community
Full members   Suspended member   Observers   Other CIS members
Headquarters		Almaty, Minsk, Moscow, Saint Petersburg
Membership		6 states
Leaders
-	Secretary General	Tair Mansurov
Establishment
-	Customs union	29 March 1996
-	OCAC merger	25 January 2006
Website evrazes.com

The Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC or EurAsEC) originated from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) customs union between Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan on 29 March 1996.^[1] The Treaty on the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Community was signed on 10 October 2000,^[2] in Kazakhstan's capital Astana by Presidents Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, Askar Akayev of Kyrgyzstan, Vladimir Putin of Russia, and Emomali Rakhmonov of Tajikistan. On 7 October 2005 it was decided between the member states that Uzbekistan would join. Freedom of movement is implemented among the members (no visa requirements).^[3] Common Economic Space was launched on 1 January 2010.^[4]

Membership[link]

Organization of Central Asian Cooperation[link]

The Organization of Central Asian Cooperation (OCAC) (Central Asian Cooperation Organization, CACO, Russian: Центрально-Азиатское сотрудничество, ЦАС) was an international organization, composed of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Russia. Georgia and Ukraine had observer status. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan formed the OCAC in 1991 as Central Asian Commonwealth (CAC). The organization continued in 1994 as Central Asian Economic Union (CAEU), in which Tajikistan and Turkmenistan did not participate. In 1998 it became Central Asian Economic Cooperation (CAEC), which marked the return of Tajikistan.^[6]

On 28 February 2002, it was renamed to its current name. Russia joined on 28 May 2004.^[7] On 7 September 2005, at the St. Petersburg Summit of the Central Asian Cooperation Organization, it was agreed to merge CACO into EurAsEC.

In October 2005, Uzbekistan applied for membership in EAEC.^[8] OCAC has de facto dissolved on 25 January 2006, when Uzbekistan joined EAEC.^[9] But later in 2008 Uzbekistan has decided to temporarily suspend its membership.^[5]

Aims[link]

EAEC was established for effective promotion of the creation by the Customs Union member states of a Single Economic Space and for coordinating their approaches while integrating into the world economy and the international trade system. One of the Organization's chief activity vectors is ensuring the dynamic evolution of the Community states through coordinating their economic and social reforms while effectively using their economic potentials to improve the living standards of their peoples. Among the principal tasks of the Community are:

• completing the formalization of a free trade regime in all respects, creating a unified customs tariff and a unified system of nontariff regulation measures;
• laying down the common rules for trade in goods and services and their access to internal markets;
• introducing a unified procedure for foreign exchange controls;
• creating a common unified system of customs regulation;
• drawing up and implementing joint programs of economic and social development;
• creating equal conditions for production and entrepreneurial activities;
• forming a common market for transportation services and a unified transport system;
• forming a common energy market;
• creating equal conditions for access by foreign investment to the sides' markets;
• giving the citizens of the Community states equal rights in receiving education and medical assistance throughout its territory;
• converging and harmonizing national legislation;
• ensuring the coordination of the legal systems of the EAEC states with a view to creating a common legal space within the Community.

Institutional framework[link]

Representatives of EAEC and CSTO.

• Interstate Council
• Integration Committee
  • Energy Policy Council
  • Transport Policy Council
  • Council on Border Issues
  • Council of Heads of Customs Services
  • Council of Heads of Tax Services
  • Council of Ministers of Justice
• Secretariat
• Commission of Permanent Representatives
• Interparliamentary Assembly
• Community's Court of Justice

Economic data[link]

Common Economic Space[link]

Single markets in Europe; European Economic Area and Common Economic Space

After discussion about the creation of a common economic space between the CIS countries of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, agreement in principle about the creation of this space was announced after a meeting in the Moscow suburb of Novo-Ogarevo on 23 February 2003. The Common Economic Space would involve a supranational commission on trade and tariffs that would be based in Kiev, would initially be headed by a representative of Kazakhstan, and would not be subordinate to the governments of the four nations. The ultimate goal would be a regional organisation that would be open for other countries to join as well, and could eventually lead even to a single currency. On 22 May 2003 The Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian Parliament) voted 266 votes in favour and 51 against the joint economic space. However, Viktor Yushchenko's victory in the Ukrainian presidential election of 2004 was a significant blow against the project: Yushchenko had shown renewed interest in Ukrainian membership in the European Union, and such membership would have been incompatible with the envisioned common economic space. On March 1, 2010 the first deputy head of the presidential administration of newly elected Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Iryna Akymova stated that Ukraine does not intend to join the Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus in the near future "Since the customs union contradicts and will greatly complicate Ukraine's membership in the WTO".^[10]

A single market for the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia is envisioned for 2012.^[11] It is expected that Serbia and Montenegro will join in the future as well.^[12]

EurAsEC Customs Union[link]

The EurAsEC Customs Union became a top priority since Spring 2008, when the EU announced its Eastern Partnership. Since that time, there has been discord between the EU and Russia with both sides accusing the other of attempting to carve out spheres of influence over the countries at issue (Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). A supranational body of the customs union—the EurAsEC Customs Union Commission--was established on December 12, 2008. Boiled down to its essence, Russia has offered EurAsEC members access to its markets (i.e., for Kazakhstan) and lower energy prices (i.e., Belarus, Ukraine). The EU's offer to membership countries amounts to promises of de facto EU integration, such as relaxed visa entry requirements.

The Customs Union members—Kazakhstan, Belarus and Russia—reached an agreement on a unified customs tariff in June 2009 and endorsed a schedule for creating a unified customs territory.

According to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev the creation of a common economic space for Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus may be launched on 1 January 2010.^[4][13] Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on 10 December 2008 that Moscow is ready to build a common economic space with both Europe and the United States if every party is treated equally.^[14] According to reports from April 2010, the new Customs Union is intended to go into effect on July 1, 2010.^[15]

The Russian, Kazakhstani, and Belarusian leaders have approved documents to establish a “common economic space” on 1 January 2012 – a single market for goods, investment, and labor.^[16]

Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev has proposed the creation of a common noncash currency called yevraz for the community. This would help insulate the countries from the global economic crisis.^[17]

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Eurasian Economic Community

• Comecon, Soviet-era economic integration plan.
• OSCE countries statistics
• Regional organizations in the Post-Soviet space
• European integration

References[link]

A list of international economic communities.

Africa[link]

• Arab Maghreb Union (UMA)
• Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
• Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD)
• Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU)
• East African Community (EAC)
• Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)
• Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
• Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
• Southern Africa Development Community (SADC)
• Union for the Mediterranean

Americas[link]

• Andean Community of Nations (CAN)
• Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME)
• Central American Integration System (SICA)
• Latin American Integration Association (LAIA)
• Southern Common Market (Mercosur)
• North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Asia[link]

• Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA)
• Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
• Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (CCASG)
• Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)
• Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC)
• Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
• South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)

Europe[link]

• European Economic Area (EEA)
• European Economic Community (EEC)
• Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe
• Union for the Mediterranean

Middle East[link]

• Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (CCASG)
• Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU)
• Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area (EU-MED FTA)
• Union for the Mediterranean
• US-Middle East Free Trade Area (US-MEFTA)

Pacific[link]

• Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG)
• Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)

Proposed[link]

• 2015 East African Community (EAC)
• 2015 Southern African Development Community (SADC)
• 2020 Arab Customs Union and Common Market
• 2023 African Economic Community (AEC)
• Andean Community (CAN)
• Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)
• Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
• Common Economic Space of the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC)
• Closer Economic Relations of Australia and New Zealand
• Central American Common Market (CACM)

See also[link]

• Economic integration
• Regional Economic Communities
• Commonwealth of Nations
• Economic union
• List of continental intergovernmental organizations
• List of free trade agreements
• List of trade blocs
• Single market of the European Union

Serzh Sargsyan Սերժ Սարգսյան
President of Armenia
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 April 2008
Prime Minister	Tigran Sargsyan
Preceded by	Robert Kocharyan
Prime Minister of Armenia
In office 26 March 2007 – 9 April 2008
President	Robert Kocharyan
Preceded by	Andranik Margaryan
Succeeded by	Tigran Sargsyan
Personal details
Born	(1954-06-30) 30 June 1954 (age 57) Stepanakert, Soviet Union (now Nagorno-Karabakh)
Political party	Republican Party
Spouse(s)	Rita Sargsyan
Children	Anush Satenik
Alma mater	Yerevan State University
Signature

Serzh Azati Sargsyan (Armenian: Սերժ Ազատի Սարգսյան, born June 30, 1954^[1]) is the third President of Armenia. He won the February 2008 presidential election with the backing of the conservative Republican Party of Armenia, a party in which he serves as chairman,^[2] and took office in April 2008.^[3]

Personal life[link]

Serzh Sargsyan was born on June 30, 1954 in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Azerbaijan SSR. He was admitted to Yerevan State University in 1971, served in the Soviet Armed Forces during 1971-72, and graduated from the Philological Department of Yerevan State University in 1979. In 1983, he married his wife, Rita. They have two daughters, Anush and Satenik, and one granddaughter, Mariam.^[1] He is the chairman of the Chess Federation of Armenia. In addition to his native Armenian, he is fluent also in Russian.^[4] He is of no relation to the current Prime Minister of Armenia, Tigran Sargsyan.

Early career[link]

Sargsyan's career began in 1975 at the Electrical Devices Factory in Yerevan,^[5] where he worked as a metal turner until 1979 when he became head of the Stepanakert City Communist Party Youth Association Committee. Then served as second secretary, first secretary, the Stepanakert City Committee Propaganda Division Head, the Nagorno-Karabakh Regional Committee Communist Organizations' Unit Instructor, and finally as the assistant to Genrikh Poghosyan, the First Secretary of the Nagorno-Karabakh Regional Committee.^[1]

As tensions rose over Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, Sargsyan became chairman of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Self-Defense Forces Committee and was subsequently elected to the Supreme Council of Armenia in 1990.^[5] He organized several battles in the Nagorno-Karabakh War^{[citation needed]} and is considered to be one of the founders of Nagorno-Karabakh's and Armenia's armed forces. He became the Armenian defense minister in 1993, head of Armenian state security department in 1995 and minister of national security in 1996. In 1999, he became Robert Kocharyan's chief of staff, then secretary of the national security council, defense minister, and prime minister in 2007.^[1]

2008 presidential election[link]

Sargsyan, with President Kocharyan's backing, was viewed as the strongest contender for the post of the President of Armenia in the February 2008 presidential election. Full provisional results showed him winning about 53% of the vote, a first round majority, well ahead of second place candidate Levon Ter-Petrossian.^[6] Ter-Petrossian's supporters, disputing the official results, held large protests in Yerevan for over a week following the election, until they were violently broken up by police on March 1; ten people were killed, and a state of emergency was imposed for 20 days, ending on March 20, 2008.^[3]

Presidency[link]

Serzh Sargsyan was sworn in as President inside the Yerevan Opera House on April 9. Referring to the "painful events" that followed the election, he "urge[d] everybody to look forward, together, to seek and find the way for reconciliation, development, and future of Armenia."^[3] He appointed Tigran Sargsyan, who had been the Chairman of the Central Bank and is not a member of a political party, as Prime Minister.^[7] Vazgen Manukyan, a former member of the Karabakh Committee and a prominent oppositionist, stated that he is optimistic and "will do everything to help this government become successful".^[8] On April 18, Sargsyan launched an unusually blistering attack on the Armenian customs, saying that "corruption within its ranks is 'thriving' and hampering the countrys economic development."^[9] He later authorized an opposition to take place in Yerevan^[10] and pledged to comply with the Council of Europe's demands for an end to the government's crackdown on the opposition.^[11]

Foreign policy[link]

This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please help improve the article by updating it. There may be additional information on the talk page. (June 2011)

Sargsyan initially stated that he will continue Armenia's policy towards Turkey, to normalize relations without any preconditions while continuing to strive for international recognition of the 1915 Armenian Genocide.^[12] On October 10, 2009, however, by signing the Turkish-Armenian protocols on the establishment of diplomatic relations, he most notably accepted a precondition in regards to the veracity of the Armenian genocide, in that he accepted the proposal of studying the issue through a commission. Moreover, with his acceptance of the current Turkish-Armenian border, he neglected Armenian demands for Western Armenia, which are supported by the Treaty of Sèvres. He also stated that "Armenia's possible recognition of Kosovo's independence will not strain the Armenian-Russian relations" but also noted that the "Kosovo recognition issue needs serious discussion ... Armenia has always been an adherent to the right of nations to self-determination and in this aspect we welcome Kosovo's independence."^[13]

Sargsyan made his first address in front of the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, 2008. In his address he referenced the 2008 South Ossetia conflict and emphasized the need for the United Nations to help bring peaceful resolution to armed conflicts around the world, including the one in Nagorno-Karabakh. He also mentioned how Azerbaijan's military buildup along with increasing war rhetoric and threats risked causing renewed problems in the South Caucasus.^[14]

Protests[link]

Major protests against Sargsyan's regime began in 2011, with the president's 2008 rival Levon Ter-Petrossian at their helm.^{[15][16][17][18]} In a concession to protesters, Sargsyan said on 20 April 2011 that the government would recommit to a thorough investigation of the post-election violence of three years prior.^[19]

Serzh Sargsyan has thus far been conferred the following honors:

• Order of first Degree "Martakan Khach" ("Combat Cross")
• Hero of Artsakh
• Knight of "Voske Artsiv" (Golden Eagle) order
• Order of "Tigran Mets"
• The First Class of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (Ukraine, 2011)

Other details[link]

Other transcriptions of his given name are Serge and Serj, of the surname Sarkissian, Sarkisyan, Sargsyan, Sarkissyan, the transliteration is Serž Azati Sargsyan (see Romanization of Armenian).

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Official website of the Republican Party of Armenia

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Serzh Sargsyan

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Serzh Sargsyan

v t e Leaders of Armenia since 1918 Chairmen of the Democratic Republic of Armenia (1918-1920) Avetis Aharonyan Avetik Sahakyan Avetis Aharonyan First secretaries of the Communist Party of the Armenian SSR (1920-1991) Sergey Lukashin Ashot Hovhannisyan Haik Ovsepyan Aykaz Kostanyan Aghasi Khanjian Amatuni Vartapetyan Grigory Arutyunov Suren Tovmasyan Yakov Zarobyan Anton Kochinyan Karen Demirchyan Suren Harutyunyan Vladimir Movsisyan Stepan Pogosyan Aram Sargsyan Presidents of the Republic of Armenia (1991-) Levon Ter-Petrossian Robert Kocharyan Serzh Sargsyan