List of heads of delegations taking part in the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council expanded meeting:
Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Chair of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council Nikol Pashinyan
Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Roman Golovchenko
Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov
Prime Minister – Head of the Presidential Administration of the Kyrgyz Republic 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
First Vice-President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Reza Aref
Chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission Board Bakytzhan Sagintayev.
Mikhail Mishustin’s remarks:
Eurasian Intergovernmental Council expanded meeting
Eurasian Intergovernmental Council expanded meeting
Eurasian Intergovernmental Council’s narrow-format meeting
Eurasian Intergovernmental Council expanded meeting
Mr Pashinyan, colleagues.
It is a great privilege for me to offer my greetings to all the participants and guests of this Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting. Once again, I would like to thank our Armenian friends in the person of Mr Pashinyan for the wonderful arrangements for all these meetings and their warm hospitality.
In his remarks in May during the anniversary summit, held in Moscow, President Vladimir Putin said: “Today, the Eurasian Union is an effective and dynamic integration structure.” Our union has been developing and improving its key macroeconomic performance indicators amid a slowing global economy and the persisting illegitimate external pressure we face.
In the first six months of this year, the union’s gross domestic product increased by 4.5 percent, which is largely attributable to the existing growth drivers within the union, high investment levels and consumer demand.
As a result, in January-June, industrial output increased by 4.8 percent, while agricultural output rose by 3.5 percent, construction was up by 4 percent, while retail trade surged by 8.5 percent.
The union’s internal market has come to play an increasingly important role for its member states. In the first six months of 2024, trade among its five member states increased by 5.7 percent, with national currencies accounting for about 90 percent in these transactions.
Our leaders have outlined their expectations and goals for the future and went on to set forth these provisions in the Declaration on the Further Development of Economic Processes, titled The Eurasian Economic Path.
Colleagues, you and I have already embarked on an effort to draft a plan of action to make sure that this plan is fulfilled in all its aspects.
Let me now turn to what we view as priorities in terms of our cooperation.
First, I agree with what Mr Golovchenko and other colleagues have said, including regarding strengthening our technological and industrial sovereignty.
As part of last year’s Russian Chairmanship, we decided to launch a supra-national mechanism for facilitating cooperation initiatives in manufacturing. We selected projects for the critical sectors and expect the first initiative of this kind to receive preferential funding soon.
We must also think about establishing mechanisms within the union for supporting joint research and development efforts by innovators from EAEU member states through grants.
It is also essential to continue comprehensive industrial cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union as a whole. A key objective is to create a unified transport space and develop international logistics corridors. As President of Russia Vladimir Putin noted, the establishment of the necessary infrastructure aligns with the current economic situation.
Our roadmap, designed to implement the five countries’ transport policy, is aimed at achieving this goal.
Meanwhile, we must place special emphasis on the digitalisation of the industry and the introduction of advanced technologies. Today at the forum, we had an in-depth discussion on how to significantly increase the capacity of existing routes and the volume of cargo flows, while establishing seamless transportation that benefits entrepreneurs and businesses of our countries.
Strengthening food security is also a priority. The people living in the EAEU should have access to high-quality, healthy, and diverse nutrition.
A high level of self-sufficiency in basic products is one of the union’s advantages, but we must continue our efforts in food security, particularly in seed production, genetics, and other crucial areas.
Looking ahead, our work must take into account the specialisation and production capabilities of all members of the Eurasian Economic Union.
We have a strong foundation, exemplified by the coordination of our indicative balances of mutual trade in key food products. Russia is in favour of consistently expanding the list of goods for which these balances are compiled, and for formalising this mechanism in the overarching union law.
This will reassure our enterprises that their proposals will be supported by corresponding demand in the regional market, ensuring that production will not be cut off from key resources supplied by their closest partners.
Colleagues,
The number of areas for our practical cooperation is growing. At the same time, the Eurasian Economic Union remains open to those who share our values and are ready for mutually beneficial and equitable partnership. Our fruitful cooperation with China continues, and we are implementing agreements on free trade with Iran, Vietnam, and Serbia.
This year, talks were held with Mongolia to sign a temporary trade agreement. Work is underway on agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.
An active dialogue with regional associations, above all the SCO and ASEAN, has been established. Naturally, we should also enhance cooperation with other organisations. I believe this will contribute to promoting the role of the Eurasian Economic Union on the global stage and advance President Vladimir Putin’s initiative to form a Greater Eurasian Partnership.
Friends, together we are working to fully unlock the potential of each union member, create opportunities for economic growth, ensure fundamental freedoms such as the movement of goods, services, finance and human capital, and, most importantly, to improve the well-being of our citizens.
I am confident we will succeed.
