Sympathies of Russians to Belarus and Kazakhstan increased - statistics

UFA, 11 December 2015. /Bashinform News Agency, Ksenia Kalinina/. According to the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM), Russians consider Belarus and Kazakhstan the most successful CIS countries and key partners of Russia.

The sympathies of Russians to Belarus and Kazakhstan do not weaken, but strengthen from year to year. Six years in a row Russians call these countries the most successful among other members of the CIS. This year, the corresponding answers were given by 72% and 50% of respondents, in 2014 - 66% and 45%.

Other states are named much less frequently. The exception is Ukraine. After leaving the top three in the last year, and it was unable to regain its position. Only 1% of respondents consider it the most successful country of the CIS. One in ten marks Armenia (11%) and Azerbaijan (10%), and another 6% - Georgia, 4% - Kyrgyzstan, 3% - Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, 1% - Moldova and Tajikistan.

According to residents of the country, the main partners of Russia among the CIS countries are invariably Belarus (68%) and Kazakhstan (53%). They are followed by Armenia (10%), Kyrgyzstan (7%), Azerbaijan (5%), Uzbekistan (3%), Georgia (3%), Moldova (1%), Turkmenistan (1%), Tajikistan (1%), Ukraine (less than 1%).

The presidents of these countries also head the rating of trust to leaders of the Commonwealth: Alexander Lukashenko (63%), Nursultan Nazarbayev (45%). Other heads of states are evinced confidence by less than 10% of the respondents.

The study involved 1,600 people in 130 settlements of 46 regions, territories and republics of Russia.