Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan Start 'Eurasian' Economic Space
The three former Soviet republics forming a customs union - Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan – have formed a common economic space as of January 1, 2012.
In November, the Russian, Belarusian and Kazakh presidents signed a declaration on Eurasian economic integration, a roadmap of integration processes aimed at creating the Eurasian Economic Union, which will be based on the Customs Union and common economic space among the three countries, RIA Novosti reminds.
At their summit on December 18, the three leaders signed an agreement on the Eurasian Economic Commission, a new supranational body to manage economic integration of the three former Soviet republics.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in his state-of-the-nation address to both houses of parliament on December 22 that Russia intends to intensify economic integration in the post-Soviet space and expects the Eurasian Economic Union with Belarus and Kazakhstan to come into existence by 2015.
Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan may introduce a single currency in the future within the Eurasian Economic Union between the three former Soviet republics, Russian Prime Minister and future President Vladimir Putin said last month.
Putin is the architect of the so called Eurasian Union, a new entity supposedly meant to promote cooperation both with Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, as of 2012.
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More Than One Million Mauritanians Face Hunger in 2012
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says more than one million Mauritanians could face hunger in the New Year unless immediate action is taken.
Mauritania is suffering from the combined effects of drought, poor harvests and rising food prices, making life extremely difficult for tens of thousands of people who cannot afford to buy what little food is available on the market.
The International Red Cross Federation predicts the number of people likely to face food shortages could reach 1.2 million in January, the first month of the New Year.
Red Cross spokeswoman Jessica Sallabank says immediate steps must be taken to prevent, what could become, a hunger crisis equal to that in the devastated Horn of Africa.
She says the Red Cross needs to raise more than $2 million to quickly get as much food as possible in place to head off the crisis threatening Mauritania.
“The money raised is aimed to assist over 10,000 households, 10,000 families," said Sallabank. "And priority spending for these funds will be again fodder for livestock, to provide seeds and tools for farmers, people living in rural communities, to provide food relief to people who do not have enough food, and also help to maintain and support the nutrition centers that exist already in the country. - source
Image released by Oxfam shows a women pointing at the dry land in Oud Guedara. Early indicators point to a likely food crisis in 2012, with people at particularly high risk in Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad, December 11, 2011.
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