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Belarus wants first stage of EAEU’s common natural gas market creation finished in 2020

YEREVAN, 9 October (BelTA) – The first stage of establishment of the common natural gas market of the Eurasian Economic Union has to be finished in 2020. Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko made the statement at a session of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council on 9 October, BelTA has learned.

Roman Golovchenko said: “We believe that the establishment of common energy markets in the Eurasian Economic Union while ensuring non-discriminatory approaches to pricing, tariffs, access to services of natural monopolies is a task of paramount importance for creating a genuine economic union. I would like to remind you that in line with the program on establishing the common natural gas market the first stage of this work – the development of methods and the organizational framework – has to be completed this year.”

Roman Golovchenko said the Eurasian Economic Union member states should work harder on the remaining draft documents by the end of the year.

In his words, in the current geopolitical situation caused not only by the coronavirus infection but by a number of other factors the world once again sees an increase in national protectionism, restrictions on transfer of cutting-edge technologies, the intention of the most developed countries to preserve their dominating stance to the detriment of developing countries and transition economy countries.

“This is why we should work faster to ensure the full accomplishment of goals and tasks specified by the Eurasian Economic Union Treaty, create truly common barrier-free markets of merchandise, services, capital, and workforce. These markets should cover all the merchandise groups and an overwhelming majority of sectors of services,” Roman Golovchenko believes.

Roman Golovchenko noted that certain results have already been achieved in efforts to dismantle barriers, provisos and restrictions on the internal market of the Eurasian Economic Union. At the same time digital evaluations of the barriers and their negative impact on mutual trade will allow identifying priorities for dismantling them.

The Belarusian head of government also spoke in favor of stepping up efforts to launch joint industrial projects with a high integration effect in the Eurasian Economic Union. He also spoke in favor of pooling import substitution efforts.

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