Fri, 27/06/2014 - 17:44
URUMQI, 27 June (BelTA) – Participation in the Silk Road economic belt project might benefit Belarus, chief research officer of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, an expert of the Russian Council for International Cooperation Vladimir Petrovsky told BelTA. The Russian researcher is taking part in the international symposium to discuss the opportunities opened up by the Silk Road economic belt project. The symposium is taking place in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.
According to the expert, “the so-called northern axis of the new Silk Road will pass through Belarus, as the country has a favorable geographic location”. Chinese goods en route to Europe pass through the territory of Belarus.
“I believe that there are all reasons for Belarus to join the new project. At the same time, all the members of the Eurasian Economic Union should take into consideration the obligations associated with the union,” the expert said. However, the scientist does not see any contradictions here. He noted that the EEU member states are interested in selling their products outside the union. The researcher cited one of the provisions of the EEU treaty that reads that the EEU members can create a free trade area with a third party. The treaty does not specify who this third party is. Thus, it might be a country, an organization or a community.
Vladimir Petrovsky emphasized that the Silk Road economic belt is not an organization; thus, it does not need supranational bodies. “It is a voluntary union of countries and national economies, an economic community based on independent decision-making. In fact, it is a mechanism of economic cooperation taking into consideration the interests, requests and needs of all the partners and these partners make their decisions on their own,” the scientist noted.
According to the Russian expert, China has realized that economic integration is just as beneficial as other forms of integration. Each participant of economic integration pursues its economic agenda and does not sacrifice anything.
The international symposium in Urumqi has gathered about 200 people from over 20 countries of Europe and Asia. Economists, scientists, experts, and journalists are busy discussing advantages and possible risks of the new concept in modern conditions. The event has been organized by the Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. The executors are the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the China Foreign Languages Publication and Distribution Administration, and the Academy of Social Sciences of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.
source: http://eng.belta.by/all_news/economics/Russian-expert-Belarus-might-benefit-from-Silk-Road-project_i_74061.html
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