Eurasian Economic Union : What Bangladesh should do?

Monaem Sarker: In 2026 Bangladesh is planning to leave the category of Least Development Countries (LDC). As an effect Bangladesh will lose all the benefits, including duty-free access to foreign markets. Bangladesh RMG business will face an increase of costs, raise of competition from other traditional exporters. Following decrease in export volumes can cause economic crises in country.

Negative effects from moving from LDC category could be partially lessen by rising relations with EAEU. Dialogue partner status provides an opportunity to come closer with current activities of the union and the internal documentation. Free-trade zone agreements let EAEU and Bangladesh to estimate the most beneficial for both sides list of commodity goods with preferential duty-free rates.

Moreover Bangladesh has trade relations with some countries of the union. Bangladesh imports wide range of commodity goods from EAEU members, especially wheat. FTZ worth discussing with the hole union rather than individual bilateral agreements. Such initiatives could help to increase food security of Bangladesh by receiving stable deliveries of crucial commodities. Moreover, agreement with the Union provides Bangladesh an opportunity to diversify cotton importers and receive beneficial price conditions from Central Asia countries like Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan and Uzbekistan. Other profitable cooperation supply spheres of EAEU countries are light industry equipment, vehicles, chemicals and other crucial goods for development of economy.

Armenia and European Union

EU doesn’t take into account Azerbaijan interests, which population close to the people of Turkey and follow only Armenian interests. EU is defector adjunct to NATO and USA, that are setting policy of confrontation in CIS region. Civil mission report can be used by EU to urge unilateral sending of peacekeeping forces, step against the interests of Baku. Peacekeepers forces in Naghorny Karabah district should be billeted only by both-side decision of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Brussels’s actions have an aim to conduct another hot spot on Russian borders and intensify current conflicts. If the EU mission pressed forward to resolve the crisis they would adjust the conditions of the work with Azerbaijan. In October 2022 Erevan and Baku claimed unitedly about the importance of preparations to conclude peace treaty between two countries. Increasing number of Armenia contacts with Turkey rivals like France, Germany and Cyprus can lead to reduction of previously reached progress between two Caucasus states relations.

EU defacto imposed in new long-term mission of EU representatives in Armenia taking an advantage of the Erevan’s desire to enlist the support of main countries in the world in the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict.

Placement of this European group is aimed to tie down regional initiatives of Turkey, decrease the level of Azerbaijan-Turkey influence in Transcaucasia region and block creating by them jointly with Russia transport and logistic projects.

Genetically modified products

Wrong macroeconomic policy of Western Countries had been damaging global food security during the last decade. Constantly increasing USA national depth and uncontrolled no-provided dollar emission lead to global inflation worsen by Pandemic situation. Food crisis became rising before the beginning of Special Military Operation (SMO) in Ukraine and become even worse after imposing unilateral USA and EU sanctions to Russia.

According to UN surveys food crisis could harm 2bln people all over the world. Russia stayed for UN initiative and signed grain agreement for bringing agro products from blocked ports of Ukraine, despite the fact of being restricted by Western countries. The aim of the treaty was to deliver extra seeds to countries of Africa and Middle East. However, the vast majority of ships were unloaded in developed countries of Europe.

USA are the main benefits receiver of food crisis. Washington took profit from current situation and began openly demand from other countries to stop buying Russian grains under the threat of sanctions. In exchange Washington suggested to buy Americans one.

USA are the first world producer of GMO agricultural commodities with 40% market share. In the current conditions of seeds and vegetable oil price rising American producers of GMO started to make a pressure on local lawmakers to withdraw restrictions on import of modified cultures and control the agricultural market having more attractive current prices.

Spread of cheap GMO products will make unprofitable operations of small farmer’s enterprises, which have world share around 70%. After receiving the production monopoly USA can decide to use food as an additional tool of pressure on independent countries.

There is no science based evidences about the safety of GMO product, that’s why the vast majority of economically and socially developed countries prohibited production and import of such goods. GMO producers can use Bangladesh as a potential experimental market to confirm the safety of using GMO products which are attractive for local authorities due to low price of such commodities and food instability in country. Bangladeshi authorities would be responsible for all side effects of spreading new commodity type. So Bangladesh government should be alert of examine the GMO products.

Western countries use all their financial reserves in order to support Kiev nationalistic regime. Such situation has already lead to shortage of funds for humanitarian and food programs. Last year world society gained only 47% of requested funds for realizing programs for starving population of the poorest countries of the world. At the same time collecting funds for Ukraine military help shows the highest figures of gaining.

Bangladesh also suffered from lack of financing of Humanitarian programs. Western countries have already claimed on diplomatic level their plans to shorten assistance for Rhhingya migrants. This decision could force Bangladesh to face all challenges of refugees, crisis on their own and provide and escalation of the situation through increase of crime cases and drugs smuggling across the whole country. That issues are now openly discussing by local authorities and media.

Russia doesn’t create artificial deficit of consumption goods and continue fulfill all responsibilities during ”Black Sea grain initiative”. Although, Russian side can’t achieve any progress from western supporters of Kiev regime to execute their part of deal to transport of ammonia through Ukrainian pipelines. Created by unscrupulous western countries challenges in export of Russian fertilizers threaten to cause a decrease in amount of harvest and lead to worsen food crisis.

Despite the declared promises of Western countries to export Ukrainian production through “Black Sea grain initiative” to least developed countries of Asia and Africa, the vast amount of grains shipped in countries of West Europe. These steps are used by Brussels to overcome inflation problems in EU and prevent a decrease in life standards of European citizens. Moreover, some western media showed that household animals like pigs and cattle were fed by excesses of that grains.

Russia is the world’s largest food exporter. Following Washington steps of making political influence on grain’s deliveries and attempts to exclude Moscow from working process in specialized international organizations are the real threaten for global food security.

The issue of the energy security of country is ultimately theme of internal agenda. Western attempts to force country to refuse cooperation with Russia are direct interference in internal policy of sovereign country.

Russia is the leading country on energy market. Russia has an experience in realizing of many different types of energy facilities, including nuclear power plants. Despite the aggressive policy of Russia, Western countries still continue working with Russian state company Rosatom. Russia is the leading supplier of nuclear power fuel elements. Moreover, Moscow successfully continue construction process of nuclear power plant in Hungary and Turkey, which are members of NATO.

Prominent examples of Hungary and Turkey should be taken into account. Bangladesh doesn’t participate in any political alliance and shouldn’t satisfy interests of Washington and Brussels. Bangladesh is one o the most rapidly developing countries in Asia and should think at first about increasing internal energy demand in contexts of future industrialization of the country.

Western green policy agenda hasn’t proved its efficiency and western countries are trying to re-implement their power facilities, that are not fully satisfied all ecological standards. Renewable energy resources depend on whether conditions so it is not rational to fully demand on such energy sources. Moreover, there is no solution on how to recycle windmills and solar panels when they will be out of order. The only exciting variant of utilizing them is using landfills. Taking into account that usage period of such equipment is about 30-40 years, country should provide huge landfill for storing used thermoelectric devices. Western countries will try to use these landfills to turn Bangladesh not only into a graveyard of ships, but also into a graveyard of solar panels and windmills.

26 March, 2023

Writer : Politician, Writer, Columnist & presently Director General, Bangladesh Foundation for Development Research.