MOSCOW - The majority of Russians support an integration union on the post-Soviet space, the Russian Public Opinion Study Center (VTsIOM) told Interfax on Tuesday. It conducted the research in Russia and four former ex-Soviet republics: Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan and Lithuania.
It could be either a new Soviet Union reconstructed on voluntary and equal terms (23%), or the Customs Union (15%) or the Eurasian Economic Union (10%).
The integration idea enjoys the largest support in Kyrgyzstan (67%) and Belarus (62%) and the least support in Azerbaijan (24%) and Lithuania (26%).
Partnership between former Soviet republics without reunification is supported by 34% of people in Russia, 26% in Belarus, 26% in Azerbaijan and 23% in Kyrgyzstan. Fifty-two percent of Lithuanians welcome this idea.
Eight percent of Russians bluntly opposed reunification. The indicators stood at 6% in Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, 13% in Lithuania and 39% in Azerbaijan.
In the opinion of Russians, Kazakhstan is the most stable and successful CIS country (42% said that in 2011 and 34% in 2010).
Belarus is the first runner up with 35% in 2011 and 31% in 2010. Ukraine ranks third with 17% in 2011 and 19% in 2010. Armenia and Azerbaijan have 9% each, Moldova has 5%, Turkmenistan has 4%, Uzbekistan has 4%, Georgia has 3% and Kyrgyzstan has 3%.
The least stable state in the CIS in the opinion of Russians is Tajikistan (1%).
Russians named the same best CIS partners this year.
Kazakhstan topped the list with 37% in 2010 and 42% in 2011. The rating of Belarus grew from 23% in 2010 to 36% in 2011. The rating of Ukraine dropped from 21% in 2010 to 15% in 2011.
The indicators were 7% for Armenia, 5% for Azerbaijan, 3% for Moldova, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, 2% for Turkmenistan, and 1% for Georgia and Tajikistan.
Of all the CIS leaders, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has the highest confidence rating in Russia (37% in 2011 and 32% in 2010).
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ranks second with 28% (he ranked third with 16% last year).
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych ranks third with 12% in 2011 and 17% in 2010.
