**5. Discussion**

Our study showed that LEE countries have different output gap dynamics, which does not allow us to confirm any significant level of synchronization in the economic cycles of LEE countries and, consequently, does not allow us to support the hypothesis of separation.

Despite it, our study agrees well with the existing research paradigm on the topic. Before the 2009 financial crisis, there was an environment of rapid growth in developing economies, especially Asian economies [6, 9, 10]. Most researchers have found in their research evidence of decoupling hypothesis and spillover effects [12, 13, 16]. However, the 2009 global crisis changed the trend [11] and studies began to show more and more evidence of the decoupling hypothesis and spillover effects after the 2009 crisis. Our study also indirectly supports the results of other researchers who noted a significant decrease in the decoupling effect after the 2009 crisis [14, 15].

We have also found that when considering the issue of economic growth, it is important to understand by what methods this economic growth is stimulated. It is impossible to talk about full-fledged economic integration and efficiency if only the methods of administrative regulation form the basis of economic growth.
