Events

MOSCOW, 8 April (BelTA) – Belarus views its membership in all regional associations as equally important, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said at a press conference in Moscow on 8 April, BelTA has learned.

“We do not prioritize the Union State over the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), or the CIS over the CSTO. All these associations are important for us, and we will continue to be their active member,” Vladimir Makei said.

The minister believes that the more Belarus is involved in the work of different regional associations, the better off it will be, since three-fourths of trade operations in the world today are conducted through different international organizations.

Vladimir Makei noted that the Belarus-Russia Union State has served as a kind of prototype for the Eurasian Economic Union. However, the EEU is still far from the level of integration achieved in the Union State. The EEU is aimed at economic cooperation, but due to objective and subjective reasons it faces many challenges, including exemptions and restrictions. “A number of countries are still not ready to create a full-fledged common economic space. Today there are five separate economic programs in the EEU. Our task is to complete the development of the common economic space as soon as possible,” Vladimir Makei stressed.

The minister added that several countries have expressed eagerness to expand cooperation with the EEU. For instance, a free trade agreement was signed between the EEU and Vietnam. “We would like as many countries as possible to create free trade zones with the EEU,” Vladimir Makei emphasized.