Agenda: Results of the visit to Vietnam, ratifying the Agreement on a Harmonised System for Determining the Origin of Goods Exported from the EAEU Customs Territory, amending the laws on conducting public bidding.
Government meeting
Government meeting
Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks:
Good afternoon, colleagues,
The President has defined ensuring a stable and dynamic economy as one of the national development goals, something that implies the need to establish a network of partnerships with foreign states and create the necessary infrastructure for foreign economic activities. The Government has been consistently addressing this agenda.
The Russian delegation’s visit to Vietnam concluded yesterday. We conducted substantive talks with the Vietnamese leaders, considered all current bilateral issues, and discussed the implementation of the agreements reached during President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Vietnam. We focused on strengthening trade and economic ties, as well as scientific and technological cooperation.
We will continue to facilitate the implementation of oil and gas projects on Vietnam’s continental shelf and in Russia, which are of strategic importance for our countries. It is also important to develop our cooperation in green energy. We addressed this topic in detail at a meeting with representatives of Russian and Vietnamese business circles.
We will support the joint venture in Danang, which specialises in assembling Russian GAZ vehicles. Today, we also have good opportunities for cooperation in the heavy engineering industry, including the supply of Russian rail engines, rail cars and passenger carriages to Vietnam, as well as for Russian corporate involvement in building rail infrastructure facilities and a metro system in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
There is significant potential in promoting tourist exchanges. Russian citizens often choose Vietnam as their holiday destination, and Vietnamese tourists are keen to visit Russia. It is certainly necessary to increase the frequency and expand the geography of direct flights. We have agreed to work with our Vietnamese colleagues on this.
During our meeting with representatives of business circles, we discussed opportunities for investment cooperation and the implementation of joint projects in energy, industry, transport, logistics, and agriculture. Businesspeople from both countries are sincerely interested in promoting partner relations and launching joint initiatives. It is essential to create all necessary conditions for this.
Colleagues, I ask you to closely monitor the implementation of the agreements reached during the visit within your respective spheres.
The agenda of today’s Government meeting includes measures to strengthen Eurasian integration. As you know, our union has recently marked its tenth anniversary, and, as the President noted, it has become a key player in the emerging multipolar world.
Together with our partners in the Eurasian Five, we continue to work consistently to unlock the potential of our association. Today, we will discuss the ratification of an important agreement that aims to expand mutual trade across the board.
I am referring to the Agreement on a Harmonised System for Determining the Origin of Goods Exported from the EAEU Customs Territory. Signed at the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting in Bishkek at the end of 2023, the agreement will help manufacturers from our countries to access foreign markets more easily. Administrative procedures will be streamlined through relaxed requirements and greater use of digital platforms, nearly eliminating the need for paper-based documentation.
We hope that unified mechanisms for exporters within the EAEU will start functioning in the near future.
Now, let us turn to measures to improve working conditions for entrepreneurs. As per the President’s instructions, we have drafted multiple legislative amendments introducing standardised requirements for organising tenders. These apply to mineral deposits, state or municipal property lease contracts and fishing quotas.
It is also necessary to standardise the procedure for holding online tenders. Participants will no longer need to travel to different regions, regardless of the seller or organiser’s location. Most importantly, this convenient arrangement allows businesses to save time and money while attracting more participants. Increased competition will help ensure bids better reflect the actual value of assets.
Additionally, the organisers of tenders will now be required to sign a contract with the runner-up if the winning bidder declines to proceed.
On the whole, the amendments simplify procedures for holding tenders in diverse economic spheres and make them more transparent. They allow all prospective bidders to take part, regardless of their location and sphere of activity.
We are expecting the innovations to enter into force on 1 September 2025, giving sufficient time for adjustments to sector-specific regulations.
At the same time, this unified bidding procedure will not apply to concessions or public-private partnership projects. Existing mechanisms will remain in place to safeguard property rights and prior investments made by entrepreneurs.
