On Oct. 18-19, eight of 11 members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) — gathering in St. Petersburg for its annual session — accepted a proposal from Russian Prime Minister and returning President Vladimir Putin to establish a free trade zone, thus taking a decisive step toward a Eurasian economic union.

The free trade agreement was sealed by the signatures of the representatives of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Ukraine and Tajikistan. Although Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan abstained from signing, they expressed the intention to join by yearend.

Many observers, those close to the ruling Russian "tandem" as well as its ardent critics, agree that this strong pitch by the main presidential candidate is his first move in the election campaign, creating for him the image of the "gatherer of Russian lands."