MOSCOW, 8 May (BelTA) – The Eurasian Economic Union is growing into a strong integration association, despite the difficult starting conditions, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said at the session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Moscow, BelTA has learned.
"Launched just four months ago, our union has already acquired the shape of the robust integration association, despite the very difficult starting conditions. In a sense, the economic crisis has spurred the integration and contributed to more effective and coherent work,” said the President of Belarus.
Alexander Lukashenko noted that this is the first session after the Eurasian Economic Union Treaty came into force. "For Belarus this stage is most responsible as we are holding the chairmanship in the Union," the Belarusian leader said.
He noted that the initiatives of both the Belarusian side and partners were supported and were reflected in the agenda of the meeting. "This is a positive sign that our constructive and sometimes critical remarks were taken into account by the Commission who quickly acted upon them," said the Belarusian head of state. “I hope that the practical results, including the removal of exemptions, creating the conditions for the growth of mutual trade, will follow soon,” underlined the Belarusian leader.
Alexander Lukashenko noted that the session participants will need to take decisions on a number of important issues related to the functioning of the union. First of all, this is the negotiation of the protocols on the accession of the Kyrgyz partners to the EEU. "It took less than six months for the quartet to turn, as I believe, into a quintuple,” the Belarusian head of state said.
The Commission made another important proposal: to start negotiations with China on the development of cooperation in trade and economy. The President of the Republic of Belarus considers it symbolic that this document is adopted during the official visit of the head of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping to Russia and in the run-up to his state visit to Belarus.
The session participants are set to approve the concept of the common electrical energy market and a program to liberalize cabotage transport, and to continue the work on the liberalization of the services market.
Alexander Lukashenko thanked Vladimir Putin and in general the Russian side for the warm welcome and atmosphere created in the run-up to the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory.