Russian President Vladimir Putin's plans for a Eurasian Economic Union are coming closer to reality.
Russia's upper parliament house and Kazakhstan's lower chamber ratified treaties on the EES on October 1.
The EES was established on the basis of the Customs Union by member states Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan in May. It is scheduled to officially start functioning from January 1, 2015.
Moscow has been pressuring former Soviet republics to join the Customs Union and the EES, saying the latter will be modeled after the European Union.
Armenian Prime Minister Ovik Abramian said in July that an agreement allowing his country to join the EES will be signed by the end of October.
Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev has said that Kyrgyzstan will join the Customs Union by the end of 2014.
