(*) The Orthodox nations with Orthodox majorities of the European Union (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, and Romania) are not discussed in this subject, but they are included, from the economic integration, in the study of the European Economic Area
of the Western Civilization because of its membership to the EU;
Orthodoxy is an important religion in Kazakhstan, Latvia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (30% Orthodox), Albania, Kyrgyzstan, and Estonia, but these countries are not included in this subject;
The countries of the Coptic area of the Orthodox Civilization such Egypt (African/Islamic
Civilization) and Ethiopia (African Civilization) are not included.
4- Economic Integration of the Orthodox Civilization.
There are eighteen Free Trade Agreements (FTA) between the countries of the Orthodox Civilization considered in this analysis.
Armenia has Free Trade Agreements with Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine;
Belarus has Free Trade Agreements with Armenia, Russia, and Ukraine;
Georgia has Free Trade Agreements with Armenia, Russia, and Ukraine;
Moldova has Free Trade Agreements with Armenia, Russia, and Ukraine;
Montenegro has a Free Trade Agreement with Ukraine;
Macedonia has a Free Trade Agreement with Ukraine;
Russia has Free Trade Agreements with Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Serbia, and Ukraine;
Serbia has Free Trade Agreements with Russia, Ukraine;
Ukraine has Free Trade Agreements with Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, and Serbia.
Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, and Moldova belongs to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) (with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan);
Armenia has Free Trade Agreements with Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan;
Russia has a Free Trade Agreement with Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan;
Georgia has a Free Trade Agreement with Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan;
Free Trade Agreement between Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova;
Free Trade Agreement between Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan;
Moldova has a Free Trade Agreement with Kyrgyzstan;
Montenegro has a Free Trade Agreement with Turkey;
Ukraine has free trade agreements (FTA) with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan;
Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine are members of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) (with Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, and Turkey;
Belarus has status of Observer);
Between 200 and 300 million people in the World is Orthodox, the second Christian family after Catholicism and before Protestantism.
Russia is undoubtedly the Central State of the Orthodox Civilization;
Russia is also a BRICS country (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
Since 1741 to 1917, the Russian colonial empire it stretched from the Baltic Sea to Alaska, from Poland to part of Turkey controlling the majority of the Orthodox Civilization and Central Asia. Russia, as head of the Orthodox Civilization, dominated vast areas of the Western and the Islamic Civilization and even a Buddhist country like Mongolia.
After the revolution of 1917, it was created in 1922 the Soviet Union formed by Russia, the Soviet Federal Socialist Republic of Transcaucasia, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, and Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, later the Republics of Central Asia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan were added. After completion of the Second World War, the USSR also would control Poland, East Germany, Hungary, Romania, Czechoslovakia, the Balkans, and the Baltic Republics leading to the beginning of the Cold War.
The collapse of the USSR in 1991 would lead to the independence of these countries. Since then, Russia tries to maintain the leadership in the region. However, in the recent years, Russia has had military clashes with Georgia or Ukraine.
In addition, we must take into account the “great game of the petrol and gas” that develops in the Central Eurasian region.
Nowadays not a large economic integration project integrates all the countries of the Orthodox Civilization although several Free Trade Agreements between these countries have been established. Perhaps in the next decades, we will observe the emergence of a massive integration project of the Orthodox
Economies.
Russia and the Orthodox Countries are focusing their international economic relations mainly on two areas:
Europe, in particular with the European Union;
The Central Asian Republics.
Surely, the Orthodox Civilization is one of the civilizations less integrated with the other civilizations.
Situation of the Orthodox Civilization.
(c) EENI Global Business School (1995-2023)
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