Economic Cooperation Between Belarus and CIS Member States After the Tightening of Sanctions

In 2022, Belarus came under harsh Western sanctions and the closure of borders by the EU. The republic has an export-oriented economy. She was faced with the need for a partial reorientation of trade and economic cooperation, transport and logistics routes. The article examines the dynamics of the country’s economic cooperation with the CIS member states as one of the such a reorientation directions. It notes that the degree of interest of CIS countries in partnership with Belarus, its scope, and intensity largely depend on the countries’ interest and the availability of financial support for the proposed projects. This aspect, in turn, has a direct impact on the intensity of trade, investment interactions, and industrial cooperation ties. The dynamics of trade and investment cooperation has been studied. The directions of economic cooperation with the largest CIS partners – Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan – are considered. High level of cooperation activity with these countries is determined by the fact that they face similar challenges in economic, technological, and transport and logistics development within the Eurasian region. Close contacts with Russia are ensured by working within the Union State format, as well as access to Russian institutional and transport infrastructure. However, the potential for further development is limited by Belarus’s interest in restoring ties with Ukraine and the European Union. Meanwhile, partnerships with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are developing in the transportation sector, as well as trade in food products, timber and timber products, and petroleum products. The article concludes that trade relations with CIS countries play a stabilizing role for the Belarusian economy in the face of growing geoeconomic challenges.

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