DOI: 10.33917/es-8.166.2019.66-75

The article presents analysis of the dynamics and structure of foreign economic relations of the Western Balkans countries, considers the specifics of foreign infrastructure investment projects, evaluates the importance of foreign economic relations for socio-political institutions. Scientific novelty of the study is determined by application of least squares methods and gravitational modelling. To identify factors determining the vector of economic cooperation, the authors have analyzed macroeconomic data, as well as the trade flows dynamics: gravitational model of foreign trade was taken as the basis. The authors assume that many problems of the modern socio-economic and political development of the region stem from its past, namely from reproduction of both individual elements and the system characteristics of historical models. In particular, the analysis confirmed historical dependence of the political and economic development of the Western Balkans on external players. Historical determinism of the foreign policy course (identified through institutional analysis) coexists with economic factors arising the incentives of neoclassical economic theory

DOI: 10.33917/es-8.166.2019.76-82

Analyzing development of the global industry for servicing agricultural production and formation of international value chains around it, the article substantiates the thesis on formation of exploitation relations within the chains. To this end, the most important innovations in the field of biotechnology, development of their patent-licensed protection system and structural regrouping of the most important companies — players in the global agrochemical market are examined in interrelation with one another over a period of the last forty years. On this basis, formation of oligopolistic structure of international companies, controlling the key links of the chain, which are infrastructural in relation to the others, is shown. Combined with the synergistic effect of the batch sale of technologically heterogeneous goods and services, this creates conditions for monopolistic exploitation of agricultural producers. The latter do not have access to alternative sources of similar goods and services that are competitive in comparison with the “packages” offered by oligopolists. As a result, for each unit of invested capital, the income of the latter is greater than that of agricultural producers, that is, within the chain the income is redistributed in their favour, including funds from end-consumers. The given monopoly is bilateral in nature, as technology companies also transfer part of their income to market leaders, who buy these technologies, for the right of access to their marketing opportunities.

DOI: 10.33917/es-7.165.2019.36-45

The Russian economy has formed an economic system, which has its own regularities and contradictions. Contemporary contradictions of the Russian economy are the result of the features of the national model of development and economic policy characteristic of this model. The transition to a new economic development policy should lead to the formation of a new economic model which should be based on the concept of the national and self-sufficient economy. The article discusses the regularities, trends and contradictions of the contemporary Russian economy, analyzes the main areas of transition of the Russian economy to a new stage of development, substantiates the main directions and principles of transformations

DOI: 10.33917/es-7.165.2019.46-56

Modern global economic and political transformations that result on the one hand in the relative weakening of the American global influence in the world and on the other hand in formation regionalized centers of the economic growth and influence create the risks of intensification of the regional contradictions and conflicts that affect the interests of the key economic players. Potential emergence of the “arch of instability” in the southern part of the Eurasian continent that can be used by the US to accommodate its interests with providing the base for non-force and/or partially force-based instruments of control of the global and sub-global economic processes. The emergence of such an arch could alter significantly the configuration of the political and geopolitical interests in the priority regions with the most intense trends for the global economic growth thus creating new military-political and political risks. The formation of the “arch of instability” could create new risks for the interests of Russia and its partners in the post-Soviet Eurasia

DOI: 10.33917/es-7.165.2019.58-65

The sociodemographic trends presented in the article show that global migration is becoming a qualitatively new challenge. From principally humanitarian category it’s turning into a factor of global economic and technological competitiveness

DOI: 10.33917/es-7.165.2019.66-73

The article analyzes the EU migration policy after the refugee crisis of 2015. The effectiveness of anti-crisis migration measures of the EU is shown, while the absence of the same degree of effectiveness of existing rules of migration policy is observed. It is shown that the influx of migrants has a beneficial effect on the demographic situation of the EU. The EU needs a migration strategy that considers the increasing importance of migration for the macroeconomic development of the Union

DOI: 10.33917/es-7.165.2019.74-77

The Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), signed on May 29, 2014, entered into force on January 1, 2015. The purpose of the Union is to provide conditions for the stable economic development of member states by improving the living standards of the population, comprehensive modernization, cooperation and increasing the competitiveness of national economies. Armenia became part of the EAEU 2015 on January 2. At the same time, the most important problems for all countries remain: the problem of diversification of national industry; low competitiveness of the products of most manufacturers, a low share of high-tech products in exports, virtually no trade and investment cooperation between individual pairs of countries, the degree of public confidence in the integration group. The article discusses issues related to the economic development of Armenia within the EAEU, mutual trade with the EAEU member countries, the attitude of the population to the EAEU; the positive and negative aspects of Armenia’s participation in the EAEU, as well as possible ways to strengthen integration within the EAEU are revealed