| Table of Contents: | | | | GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS : RUCIS, Belarus, CIS, Kazakhstan, Russia | | | | TOPICS : economy, international relations, politics, capital flows, foreign policy, foreign trade, integration, manufacturing, policy, reform, treaty, industry, automobile, energy, gas, oil | | | | SIGNIFICANCE : Moscow has tried to establish a customs union with its neighbours since at least 1995. Next month's signing ceremony will be the closest such an agreement has come to realisation, and -- if implemented successfully -- might provide a major boost to otherwise moribund regional integration initiatives. However, the political rationale for the union is probably stronger than the economic imperatives underlying i |
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