ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the experience of both formal and informal regionalization in Eurasia, focusing on the post-Soviet states and the Eurasian Economic Union in particular. New regionalism in the developing, or perhaps post-Western, world combines developmental agenda and preferential treatment of regionally cooperating countries with the promotion of active participation in international markets on the terms beneficial to the developing world's participants. Eurasian regional integration is about voluntary processes of predominantly economic cooperation. Russia needs to normalize its relations with the West to become attractive as a political and economic partner. China skilfully uses the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the One Belt, One Road to propel its geopolitical and business interests in the region. The Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) promised to boost cooperation in trade, economic, social, humanitarian and legal spheres, with an idea of finding an optimal balance between national and common interests of participating countries.
