EEU leaders meet in Astana to discuss future and international relations

The presidents of the five member states of the Eurasian Economic Union Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia met Tuesday in Astana to discuss the organization’s future plans and international relations.

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said during the summit that the EEU should consider establishing trade and economic relations with the European Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN.

Nazarbayev said this would allow the EEU to expand economic relations with other countries and relevant international organizations.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said the first step by the EEU should be the creation of a common market that is highly developed to confidently negotiate with external partners.

“For our own interests, we have to be strong in all possible ways to strengthen our alliance. Then it will be easier to negotiate with the European Union, China and others,” Lukashenko said.

The Belarusian leader, nevertheless, criticized the EEU’s functions, saying that “unfortunately, cooperation has not developed as planned. Many problems still remain.”

The EEU must put theory into practice, Lukashenko said.

“The initiative to develop an EEU operating mechanism to protect the market against other countries has not materialized,” Lukashenko said.

Russia has unilaterally closed its territory to the transit of goods from Europe and Turkey to Kazakhstan in response to EU sanctions, the Belarusian president said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, for his part, said he was convinced that the EEU’s economic integration, which produced high growth rates in the past, would enable its members to overcome problems.

“In this regard, we do not expect miracles, but it will undoubtedly help us to overcome current difficulties. I have no doubt,” Putin said.

Russia supports Kazakhstan’s initiative to expand cooperation between the EEU and other organizations, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and ASEAN, Putin said.

“Kazakhstan is, for us, a very close partner and our most reliable ally. We have forged very good economic relations,” Putin said during an earlier meeting with Nazarbayev.

The Russian leader said the creation of a common market for electricity should be operational by 2019.

“According to experts, this will provide $7 billion of additional growth to GDP for member countries,” Putin, who also announced a common market for hydrocarbons by 2025, said.

The Russian president also offered to host the next EEU meeting in Moscow in December.