"Non-Recognition" of the EAEU by the European Union: Political Aspects

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) positions itself as an open integration formation and considers the cooperation with external partners as a key feature of its functioning. However, while it is developing a growing network of trade agreements in the framework of a Great Eurasian Partnership, it faces difficulties in establishing a formal dialogue with a neighboring integration formation - the European Union (EU). In this article we propose to analyze political causes of such "non-recognition", conditioned by the context of political tensions between Russia and the EU countries and by the perception of the EAEU as a tool for promotion of an integration model, alternative to the European one. The article offers recommendations to enhance the dialogue between the two integration unions, oriented at strengthening of objective economic prerequisites for EU. EAEU cooperation, as well as at the formation of the EAEU identity, separate from the identities of its member-states.