Challenges and Prospects for Eurasian Integration Discussed in Minsk

The International Research and Practice Conference “Integration processes in Eurasia: Status, Challenges, Prospects” was held in Minsk on 17 February. Academia and decision makers joined together for a dialogue on topical issues of Eurasian integration, exchange of ideas on modern practices of project implementation, methodological support for scientific integration research and teaching integration disciplines.

The event was organized by the Faculty of International Relations of the Belarusian State University.

Director of the International Institute for Monitoring the Democracy Development, Parliamentarianism and Suffrage Protection of Citizens of IPA CIS Member Nations (IPA CIS IIMDD) Ivan Mushket noted in a welcoming speech that the integration processes in Eurasia had an economic, political, social and cultural dimension and were reflected in the missions of international organizations, in particular in the IPA CIS.

IPA CIS IIMDD Director also made a report “The objectivity of international election observation as a factor in the implementation of the integration policy of the CIS Member Nations.” The fundamental CIS international legal document, signed by the Heads of the CIS Member Nations on 7 October, 2002 in Chisinau, is the Convention on the Standards of Democratic Elections, Electoral rights and Freedoms in the CIS Member Nations.

Chairperson of the Standing Commission of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus on International Affairs Andrei Rusakovich presented the report “Eurasian Economic Community: experience and lessons for Eurasian integration”, on the prospects for the parliamentary dimension of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Head of the Analytical Department of the IPA CIS IIMDD Roman Amburtsev indicated a new direction - electoral geopolitics that will help to identify separate electoral and geopolitical regions with different standards of democratic elections and principles of international observation of them.

Deputy Head of the Analytical Department of the IPA CIS IIMDD Maxim Andreev shared information about the organization of foreign voting in the elections of the President and Parliament of the Republic of Moldova in 2020 and 2021 and its impact on geopolitical processes in Eurasia.

During a round table “Cooperation in education and science” Ivan Mushket and his Deputy Elena Eremenko presented a report on the educational course “International Observation of Elections and Referend” developed by the Institute, which was introduced into the curriculum of the master program of St. Petersburg State University.

Secretary of the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Science and Education, Executive Secretary of the IPA CIS – RCC Expert Advisory Board Alexander Surygin also took part in the round table and spoke about the model lawmaking of the IPA CIS in the field of education and science.

The conference was attended by academia, researchers and professors of higher educational institutions, as well as representatives of the real sector of the economy, public authorities and international organizations and businesses.