With little fanfare, much disinterest and some ridicule, a new regional grouping was established on Jan. 1, with the grand vision of creating an economic zone stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
The declared aim of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is to spread the wealth of Europe and East Asia to the less developed Central Asian countries that lie between. The proposed zone would cover 35% of the world's surface and contain 65% of its population; within it lie Russia and the rising powers of the 21st century: China and India.
