The Union State in the Perception of Business: Are There Any Effects on Economic Integration?

Abstract

The Union State of Russia and Belarus is the longest-lasting regional integration project in the postSoviet space. The biggest volume of contradictions is accumulated in the area of economic integration, including the interaction between Russian and Belarusian enterprises. However, it is the corporate integration (“integration from below”) that creates prerequisites for achieving economic integration goals and objectives of the Union State. The aim of the research is to analyze the perception of the Union State by Russian regional enterprises as a project of economic integration of Russia and Belarus. The method of research is a semi-structured focused interview with representatives (owners, managers) of Sverdlovsk Region enterprises operating in Belarus. The article is structured as follows: the first part analyzes the economic integration of Russia and Belarus in the framework of the Union State. The second part is devoted to the description of the research design and characteristics of the sample. The third part answers the question whether the perception of Russian regional business has any effects on economic integration from the Union State. The analysis of regional enterprises' perception of such integration project as the Union State shows that for the majority of respondents it is a political project that does not give significant economic benefits to Russian enterprises. Research results: a) most enterprises do not seek deeper economic integration of Russia and Belarus; b) Russian enterprises do not view the Union State as a single and economically beneficial space for doing business; c) Russian enterprises see the need to remove national barriers to facilitate interaction between Russian and Belarusian enterprises.