Eurasian Economic Union and Iran

Abstract

After the collapse of the USSR, Russia lost its superpower status as well as its influence over a very large territory in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus. The Western countries, primarily the United States, took advantage of this to include these regions in the orbit of their influence. At the beginning of the 21st century, Russia has begun to regain its presence in Central Asia and the Caucasus by creating such organizations as the EAEU and the SCO. At the same time, Russia pursued the goal of returning the superpower positions lost after the collapse of the USSR. One of the important reasons for the formation of the EAEU was that some countries of the former USSR felt the need to restore economic ties that had existed before 1991. This organization soon began to expand towards the Middle East. Iran was one of the first countries in the region to start negotiations with the organization. This article presents an analysis of Iran’s relationship with the EAEU. In 2019, the Agreement on the Free Trade Zone of Iran with the EAEU entered into force, which led to a significant increase in bilateral trade. A possible entry into the EAEU for Iran, on the one hand, will not bring very large economic benefits due to the peculiarities of the structure of its economy and the need for modern technologies that this organization cannot provide for this country. However, it will allow Iran to expand and deepen its interaction with the countries of Central Asia and resist the US pressure. In particular, it will be possible for Iran to neutralize the impact of the devastating American economic sanctions by developing ties with the EAEU in the field of economy.