BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstanv— The Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan has joined the Eurasian Economic Union, a Russia-led trade bloc.
President Almazbek Atambayev on Thursday signed the law ratifying Kyrgyzstan’s entry, joining Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Belarus.
The union aims to create a single market for the free movement of goods and services over a total population of more than 180 million people, in a similar way as the 28-nation European Union.
Although it is nominally only a trade bloc, its economic heft could be used as a “soft power” political lever for Moscow.
Russia pushed hard for Ukraine to join the bloc, but opponents saw …read more
Source: The Epoch Times
