Латиноамериканская интеграция выходит в мир. Перспективы для России

Abstract

Extra-regional contacts of Latin American integration unions have been actively developing over last decades. Generally it was the effect of a globalization process. Regional platforms have been created for multi-format cooperation both with separate countries and unions. The motives of inter-union cooperation are the efforts of developing countries to strengthen their bargain power and the requirement to expand export markets. The experience of such partnership between Latin America and different regions allows to define several models characterized by different mechanisms and instruments of a dialogue development (LAC–EU, LAC–US and “South–South” cooperation). There are different approaches to economic integration with extra-regional partners among Latin American unions and countries. A number of them follow open and flexible trade policy, while other establish preferential blocks with restrictions on bilateral trade negotiations. Until now Russia preferred to develop bilateral relations with its key allies in Latin America without building close ties with integration unions. But current geopolitical and economic situation encourages Russia to establish such partnership agreements with regional organizations, which are the rising power on the regional and global scene. Without it the full development of economic and political ties between both regions and their association on the international scene would be complicated. The fact that Eurasian Economic Commission recently launched the negotiations process with MERCOSUR demonstrates that Latin American unions start to be considered as prospective partners. In the future, Eurasian Economic Commission can serve as the main platform for bi-regional partnership.