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PM: Eurasian Intergovernmental Council reaches consensus on all issues

MINSK, 8 February (BelTA) - The heads of government of the Eurasian Economic Union member states have reached a consensus on all issues on the agenda of the meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 5 February, Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko said on the air of the Belarus 1 TV channel on 7 February, BelTA has learned.

“Consensus has been found on all issues. It is natural that the interests of the EAEU countries coincide on some issues and diverge on others. Therefore, the task of the council is to bring positions closer and reach a compromise in order to reach the common goal. I believe that all the issues that we considered have been resolved in a way favorable for our country," Roman Golovchenko said.

According to him, the main thing is that the union is moving forward. "Last year, during our presidency, we removed 8 of 19 barriers to mutual trade. But 11 still remain in place. I hope that Kazakhstan’s presidency will be as effective as Belarus’,” the prime minister said. “Removal of any barrier means a change in economic conditions for economic agents. This is why we may lose a little on some things and gain on others. We have learned over the years to find solutions, including to trade disputes and the use of protective measures. The most important thing is that the partners hear each other. We communicated our opinion on the use of measures in connection with economic pressure on one of the EAEU countries. Our position was taken into account after heated discussions. In this regard, we can say that for Belarus the meeting of the Eurasian Economic Council was successful and effective.”

Roman Golovchenko stressed that the EAEU is developing a mechanism for retaliatory measures against third countries. "The Eurasian Economic Commission has been instructed to look into this. But it is gratifying that our partners hear us and understand that if we are a bloc, if we are an alliance, then, the impact or pressure on one of the members of the union should be perceived as pressure on the whole organization. Of course, we are not a military alliance like the CSTO, for example, which has these mechanisms. But lately the economy has become a battlefield reminiscent of military combat. Therefore, the EAEU will develop mechanisms on how to counter such unfriendly actions against one of the countries of the union," he added.

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