Alexei Overchuk: The meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council has concluded in Cholpon-Ata
following two days of discussions.
The heads of government began by holding a substantive discussion on two reports.
The first addressed food security within the Eurasian Economic Union – a particularly pressing issue in light of climate change and water shortages. It was noted that the Union’s food security stands at 93.5 percent, and that member states are self-sufficient in basic agricultural products.
The discussion focused on coordinating the actions of the five member states to further safeguard food security of our countries..
The growth of trade and economic ties between the five countries and their external partners was also on the agenda, with considerable attention given to existing trade agreements and work on new ones. In particular, the implementation of agreements already in force – with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Serbia – was reviewed.
Issues relating to the removal of both tariff and non-tariff barriers were raised, with the latter receiving particular focus in the report delivered by the representative of Iran.
Negotiations with India were also discussed, and are understood to be at a fairly advanced stage.
In addition, a report was heard on expert consultations regarding negotiations with Pakistan, which the EAEU member states support taking forward.
A number of other countries, including several in Africa, have also been notified of our intention to open negotiations, and we await their response.
A number of important agreements were also concluded during the meeting.
Notably, an agreement on digital trade within the EAEU was signed. Digital trade has become increasingly important across the board, and it is fair to say that few can now operate without recourse to marketplace services. The agreement is primarily aimed at protecting consumer rights, improving the transparency of digital platforms, and expanding the range of products available through them.
An agreement was also signed to allow brokers to participate in the operation of exchange platforms across EAEU member states.
Considerable discussion was devoted to proposals for improving mechanisms to support industrial cooperation involving three or more EAEU member states. This project is currently in a pilot phase. A significant number of amendments have already been prepared and introduced to simplify the process. However, as several prime ministers noted in their remarks, further work is required. In particular, efforts will continue to make interest rate subsidies on loans for joint projects more accessible.
It was also noted that, in line with instructions from the heads of state, support mechanisms for cooperative projects will soon be extended beyond industry to include economic operators in the agricultural sector.
