Events

14 Apr 2020

Integration expected to help EAEU cope with COVID-19 pandemic

An archive photo

MINSK, 14 April (BelTA) - The leaders of the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union - members of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council adopted a joint statement in connection with the pandemic COVID-19 following the working meeting on 14 April, BelTA has learned.

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that the joint statement is intended to provide political support for the efforts to solve top-priority economic and social issues in the EAEU member states. “I believe that the main conclusion of this meeting is that we need to promptly adopt strategic forward-looking decisions," the Belarusian leader said summing up the event. “They will enable us to quickly recover from the crisis and return to a sustainable path of building the EAEU economic space,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added.

Plans are in place to continue the discussion of the topic in more detail at the forthcoming EAEU summit. "I think that on 19 May we will discuss these issues more thoroughly: our strategy, restoration of our union, our economies, people's lives after the pandemic. Our union should be able to confront not only these challenges but also other threats. I am confident that we will learn good lessons from the current situation. Unity is the key to overall success in any difficult situation. We are ready to work together to overcome the problems and challenges we face,” the president said

Aleksandr Lukashenko invited the EAEU leaders to come to Minsk for the summit on 19 May. He assured that the Belarusian side would take all necessary measures to ensure safety of the summit participants. “I am waiting for all of you in Minsk. I guarantee you complete safety and I am confident that you will enjoy your stay in the capital of Belarus as always,” the head of state said.

The joint statement notes that the coronavirus infection COVID-19, the pandemic declared by the World Health Organization and described as a public health emergency, is of international importance. It leads to a significant reduction in population mobility, makes it difficult to trade in goods and services, creates volatility in global financial and commodity markets, and disintegration risks for world and regional economies.

In this situation, the leaders of the EAEU countries decided to join forces to jointly confront the common threat. “We reaffirm our readiness to continue the close work to eliminate the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, maintain the achieved level of integration cooperation and promote further economic development of the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union, ensure social and macroeconomic stability in our countries, maintain business and investment activity,” the joint statement reads.

The heads of state advocate the unity of the international community and the stability of the world economy, the principle of freedom of movement of goods, including socially important products, staple foods, medical equipment, medicines and medical protective gear. “The measures taken by our states are aimed at mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economies of our countries and ensuring the functioning of the common economic space. We believe that the restrictions imposed around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic are a forced measure which will be lifted once the threat to people’s life and health is gone,” the statement runs.

The EAEU presidents are ready to continue providing assistance to each other, strengthening healthcare systems, conducting joint research in the development of disease prevention means, diagnosis and treatment of infections, improving the algorithms of cooperation in response to the epidemic.

The governments and central banks of the members of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Eurasian Economic Commission have been instructed to coordinate measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, strengthen economic cooperation, preserve stable operation of the domestic, including food, markets, help individuals and business to deal with the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We firmly believe that the benefits of integration will help our countries and peoples to overcome this challenge,” the leaders of the EAEU countries stressed.



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