BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

14/06/2007

Poll: Armenians and Belarusians strive for EU most of all

The Eurasian Monitor International Research Agency conducted polls in several CIS countries in May to find out what social attitudes of the population are. The polls were conducted in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan. REGNUM publishes some results of the survey.

The highest level of social adaptation is registered in Kazakhstan. 73% are satisfied with their lives there, and 24% are not. In the other countries the answers were as follows:

Russia: satisfied - 51%, dissatisfied - 46%

Belarus: satisfied - 65%, dissatisfied - 32%

Ukraine: satisfied - 35%, dissatisfied - 61%

Armenia: satisfied - 49%, dissatisfied - 51%

Azerbaijan: satisfied - 41%, dissatisfied - 52%

Kyrgyzstan: satisfied - 65%, dissatisfied - 35%

Speaking on the economic situation in their countries, 10% respondents in Kyrgyzstan assessed it as good, 45% as middling, 45% as bad. In Azerbaijan, the figures are 41%, 36%, 14% correspondingly, 9% found it difficult to answer. In Armenia, 7% find it good, 45% - middling, 52% bad. Numbers for Kazakhstan are 45%, 49%, 2%, 4% found it difficult to answer. 19% Belarusians say the economic situation in their country is good, 60% find it middling, 15% bad and 6% find it difficult to answer. For Russians the figures are following: 11%, 57%, 25% and 7%.

During the survey, the respondents were also asked with what countries their nations should unite. The number of those willing to unite with Russia is high in Belarus (52%), Ukraine (55%), Kazakhstan (60%), Armenia (65%), Kyrgyzstan (77%). The number of such people in Azerbaijan is 12%.

In Russia, the number is high of those willing to unite with Belarus (42%), Ukraine (36%), Kazakhstan (30%). Least number of respondents in Russia would like to unite with Georgia (11%) and Turkey (4%).

17% Russians speak for joining the European Union. The figures for supporters of the idea in the other countries are the following: Belarus (27%), Ukraine (24%), Kazakhstan (22%), Armenia (39%), Azerbaijan (21%) and Kyrgyzstan (12%).

Over 1,000 people participated in the survey in each country. Survey tools and analysis of data was conducted by TsIRKON Research Group (Moscow).

Source:

http://www.regnum.ru/english/polit/842536.html