THEORETICAL COMPREHENSION AND REALIA OF THE CUSTOMS UNION: POTENTIALITIES AND PROSPECTS FOR REALIZATION OF INTEGRATION IDEA IN THE POST-SOVIET SPACE
The article reveals the idea of the customs union realization in the post-soviet space. The author emphasizes the interaction of member states in the format of “variable geometry” and “multilevel and different-speed integration”. The extensive and intensive scenarios of the prospects of the collaboration of the CIS countries are analyzed. The potential of the customs union in the creation of the future stages of integration and the readiness of the new independent states of the CIS to follow the way of carrying on a dialogue between them are considered. The factors, which impede the customs union activity, are identified.