The participants in the meeting discussed a wide range of issues related to enhancing Eurasian economic integration. They focused on transport infrastructure, customs and tariff regulation, and climate. A number of multilateral documents were signed following the meeting.
List of delegation heads attending the expanded-format Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting:
Meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council
Mikhail Mishustin at the meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council
Photo: Heads of delegations participating in the expanded-format meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council. Mikhail Mishustin, Prime Minister and Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Japarov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Roman Golovchenko, Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov, and Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov
Joint photograph of the heads of delegations taking part in the expanded format meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council
Signing documents based on the results of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting
Meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council
Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Mher Grigoryan;
Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Roman Golovchenko;
Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Oljas Bektenov;
Prime Minister and Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Japarov;
Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin;
Prime Minister of the Republic of Cuba Manuel Marrero Cruz;
Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov;
Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov;
Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission Bakytzhan Sagintayev.
Mikhail Mishustin’s remarks:
Colleagues,
I would like to once again greet all participants in the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting and thank our Belarusian friends and Mr Golovchenko personally for organising these events at the highest level and for your traditional Belarusian hospitality.
As our colleagues have mentioned, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Agreement on the Establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union on 29 May. These two landmark events in the history of the Five present an opportunity for us to assess the integration achievements we have accomplished by supporting each other in the most challenging situations. I want to emphasise that we have much to be proud of and much to strive for.
As President of Russia Vladimir Putin noted at the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council held in Moscow in early May, the union brings real benefits to each of its members.
All five states have seen positive trends in key macroeconomic indicators.
Since the union’s establishment, the volume of mutual trade has nearly doubled. Agricultural production has grown by more than a 25 percent, and industrial production by more than 20 percent. In the current quarter, these two indicators have increased by an additional 1.5 and 5.5 percent, respectively.
At the end of last year, the gross domestic product of the five countries increased by 3.8 percent, surpassing the global average growth rates.
Real wages are steadily rising and unemployment rates are declining.
All of this progress is occurring in a challenging external environment and amid increasing sanctions pressure, primarily on Russia and Belarus. However, it is also happening during the formation of a new architecture of international relations.
Over the 10 years, the Eurasian Economic Union has built a unique supranational regulatory system.
It has introduced uniform requirements for goods imported into our countries. Over 50 technical regulations have been approved, covering approximately 85 percent of products in the common market. This is crucial for supplying high-quality and reliable goods to people and facilitating mutual trade.
These mechanisms should be further developed, involving members of the Commonwealth of Independent States and other countries with which economic ties are strong. This will help us effectively reduce barriers for manufacturers using tools that have already proven successful.
The union also has unified sanitary, veterinary and phytosanitary requirements. Their implementation is essential for the free movement of goods produced within the union’s territory and the protection of the lives and health of our people.
Cooperation is expanding to build a unified transport system within the union.
Developing modern Eurasian routes can ensure the resilience of production and logistics chains, expedite cargo delivery and optimise conditions for entrepreneurial activities.
My colleagues and I have approved the report on joint efforts to upgrade the transport infrastructure that is part of the East – West and North – South international corridors.
We aim to strengthen active cooperation in the transport sector, which fully aligns with the interests of all union member countries and the entire Eurasian region.
It is important to continue coordinated action on the digital agenda. Mr Golovchenko, I support your proposal for mutual recognition of electronic digital signatures. We are ready for this.
Advanced solutions make our interaction more effective, efficient, and enhance the accessibility of information and services.
E-commerce, online payments and business platforms are becoming increasingly popular.
Russia supports the Eurasian Economic Commission’s ideas on developing digital projects. We are ready to provide every possible assistance in launching and introducing new advanced technological initiatives.
We also prioritise efforts to further streamline customs regulation. Yesterday, we discussed this in detail at our restricted attendance meeting. Our main focus is to simplify procedures for sellers and buyers, including the use of one-stop-shop mechanisms, green corridors, and online customs declarations. There is a high demand for marketplaces and other e-commerce services; therefore, we need common, easy-to-understand and transparent rules for everyone.
The Union’s Customs Code was modified late last year, considerably simplifying the purchasing of goods on the five member countries’ e-commerce platforms, as well as their subsequent registration.
Now, our goal is to coordinate an international agreement on a common customs transit system, allowing other states to join the existing union system. This will simplify goods deliveries and enable the use of a common transit declaration, navigation trackers to monitor the movement of goods, and ensure guarantee customs payments.
All projects we are currently implementing aim to merge legislations and deepen integration processes. Entrepreneurs and our citizens need all these initiatives.
I would like to note the expanded goods labelling process on the union’s territory. This process has proved effective in making the market more transparent and addressing counterfeit goods. It helps control the quality and safety of merchandise and its movement through specific routes more effectively.
Russia is continuing to label more and more goods. I urge our colleagues to join this effort. As practice shows, everyone, including the state, the business community and consumers, stands to benefit from this.
One of the competitive advantages of the Eurasian Economic Union is its openness to mutually beneficial and equitable cooperation with all countries concerned. I am confident that it is necessary to expand ties with the CIS, the SCO, ASEAN, BRICS, and individual countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.
The EAEU’s current assets include free trade agreements with Vietnam and Serbia, and an agreement on trade and economic cooperation with China. We are studying the prospects of signing agreements with Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia. Talks are also underway with Mongolia.
One of our goals is to bring into force the full-scale Free Trade Agreement with Iran, which was signed last December. Last week, the State Duma approved a law ratifying this agreement. Therefore, all parties need to promptly complete their interstate procedures.
This is particularly important in view of our Iranian partners’ interest in enhancing cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union. We welcome this intention and invite Iran to engage in a constructive dialogue and expand practical cooperation.
Colleagues,
One of the key decisions made by the EAEU over this ten-year period was the approval by the heads of state of the Five of the Declaration on Further Development of Economic Processes as part of our integration. This declaration serves as our guideline for the future. I urge you to become actively involved in drafting a roadmap for implementing the declaration.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin said, “It is obvious that the union has every opportunity to become one of the strong, independent, self-sufficient poles in the emerging multipolar world, of being a centre of attraction for all the independent states that share our values and seek to cooperate with the EAEU.”
I am confident that we will achieve this through joint efforts.
Thank you.
