Cross-Border Economic Cooperation Along the Internal Borders of the EAEU: From Exploiting the Soviet Legacy to New Cooperative Ties?

This paper puts forward a hypothesis regarding the multidimensional nature of cross-border cooperation in the Russian-Belarusian and Russian-Kazakhstani border regions. Based on statistical data, discourse analysis and field research materials, the paper identifies the consequences of interstate integration and disintegration processes and the geopolitical transformations of recent years for cross-border economic interactions. It is shown that post-Soviet integration has not led to a strengthening of ties. The fabric of cooperation is defined by the giant enterprises established in the Soviet era, which have production and raw material links. Small businesses tend to exploit not so much the benefits of integration as institutional and price gradients; and do so more actively in the Russian-Belarusian borderland, which is characterized by lower barrier function of the border, socio-cultural proximity and better transport accessibility. The impact of Western sanctions varies across different border sections. On the Russian-Belarusian border, the asymmetry of the restrictions imposed has led to increased interaction, as well as a new wave of ‘flooding’ of the Russian market with Belarusian products. On the border between Russia and Kazakhstan, the situation, due to fears of secondary sanctions, was more complex, simultaneously involving a breakdown in ties, the use of intermediary schemes and relocation.