ASTANA, May 29 (RIA Novosti) – Ukraine's political crisis had no effect on the process of the integration of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan into the Eurasian Economic Union (EAU), formed on Thursday in Astana, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said Thursday.
"The EAU integration is absolutely modern and adequate response in depth and experience to the risks in today's world. That is why the area-specific internal political crisis in Ukraine is primarily a crisis of Ukraine's self-determination in this world, of what it wants, what it is looking for in its own future," he said.
"That is why it had no effect on the integration process, but added to the understanding of the significance of integration processes. It certainly gave a positive signal that without this kind of instruments, without serious integration structures, one cannot survive in this world, and that [integration] is what we should wish our colleagues in Ukraine," he added.
Ongoing clashes between nationalists and federalists in Ukraine's east and south have led to hundreds of deaths in recent months. The violence followed the unconstitutional overthrow of President Viktor Yanukovych in February, which led to the reunification of the Crimean peninsula with Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaders of Belarus and Kazakhstan signed the treaty on the formation of the Eurasian Union in Astana earlier on Thursday. The treaty will enter into force on January 1, 2015.
The new EU-style bloc aims at promoting integration and free trade between its three member states, with more countries to follow. It may also later introduce a common financial and economic union, Shuvalov said.
The Union foresees a high level of integration of its member-states and guarantees free exchange of goods, services, funds and workforce, as well as common policies in key economic sectors, including energy, manufacturing, agriculture and transport. The new common market will have a population of 170 million people.
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