"The Eurasian project, for me it is not very clear what is meant by it. I know the participants but it is not very clear what the project is," Van Rompuy said at a discussion at the President's Office on Tuesday evening.
He noted that the Eurasian Union could hardly be compared to the European Union (EU).
"The European Union is something totally different. It is based on treaties, it is based on democratically elected governments, it is based on values. It is not only based on sharing economic interests. It is actually a political project. We had totally different historical roots because the European Union was created to avoid war. We can't compare the Eurasian project with the European Union. But in any case, we are working closely with Russia, they are our strategic partners, we encourage all kinds of regional cooperation. The two projects, historically and also on substance, are two really different projects," the Belgian politician said.
On Noember 18, 2011, the Russian, Belarusian, and Kazakh presidents signed an agreement on setting up the Eurasian Economic Union in 2015. The agreement also envisages establishment of the Eurasian Economic Commission, the main functions of which include verifying operations of the Customs Union and draft proposals on further economic integration of the member-states and subsequent development of a single economic zone. Lithuanian experts say the new organization set up by Russian rules constituted a threat to the EU Eastern Partnership initiative.
Van Rompuy also noted that the European Union should not become a federation similar to the United States.
"The national states are an integral part of the Union. That's why I am not in favor of the concept of the so-called United States of Europe," he said.
