Press statements by Mikhail Mishustin and Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission Mikhail Myasnikovich following a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental[...]

Excerpts from the transcript:

Mikhail Mishustin: Colleagues, media representatives,

I would like to once again thank our Kazakhstani friends for these well organised events and for the warm reception.

The first meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in 2023 is now over. We constructively discussed all topical issues and exchanged assessments regarding the overall situation in the Eurasian Economic Union and the efficiency of measures we are taking to make our economies more resilient in the face of the sanctions pressure.

We have outlined our plans for promoting integration, with due consideration for the external factors.

In 2023, Russia, as the chair of the EAEU governing bodies, intends to make the maximum effort to unlock the integration potential of our association. We will work on high-priority areas as set forth in a message to all member states by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. Of course, we are counting on the support of all our partners in this connection.

I will briefly comment on the results of the meeting.

First, I would like to highlight industrial cooperation that is probably a high-priority issue. All of our countries intend to implement joint projects in this significant area. This includes high-tech production facilities as well.

In late 2022, we agreed to launch a mechanism to provide supranational subsidies for these initiatives. This year, we are set to completely formalise the relevant regulatory documents so the process can develop faster. We hope that, following this process, we will also start selecting the first recipients of these subsidies.

The creation of a system for financing these projects will accelerate technological development and will help launch joint ventures in strategically important sectors with EAEU support. This will also allow the smaller economies to take a more active part in developing new technologies.

We reviewed food security issues and measures to boost staple food self-sufficiency during a separate discussion.

According to some estimates, this year the EAEU is to expand agricultural production by over 20 percent, in dollar equivalent, compared with 2020.

We are now completely meeting domestic demand for these products. We can and will further develop export mechanisms, including under the Eurasian Agro-Express project. Although this project was launched less than 12 months ago, about 500,000 tonnes of freight have already been exported, due to faster railway service.

We are studying the possibility of involving new countries in the project and lifting restrictions on deliveries to China. The commission's members have submitted the relevant proposals. This, too, will make a substantial contribution to expanding the export potential of our agricultural producers.

We need to make closer our positions on creating common energy markets; we see this as a key element for the development of Eurasian integration, especially today when many countries are hard pressed for energy resources due to global turbulence. Apart from meeting the domestic demand of the member states, we can help friendly countries by balancing our interests.

Regulations for using power transmission services have been approved. This will facilitate non-discriminatory national access of common market participants to interstate power transmission grids under intra-EAEU power trade agreements.

Work is still underway to digitalise the economies of the member states. Modern technologies and modern solutions open up additional opportunities for businesses and make it possible to avoid excessive red tape in the foreign economic sphere. We exchanged opinions on this subject at the international digital forum. During the council meeting, we agreed to expedite our work on an integrated information system in the union.

Mikhail Myasnikovich and I discussed the details of this, and we find it necessary to fully use its resources for launching seamless interaction between our authorised agencies even in the simplest matters. Most importantly, we must help our people realise the four EAEU freedoms, specifically, the free movement of goods, services, capital and human resources. We need to minimise the administrative impact of obtaining these freedoms by the people living in our union.

Today, our colleagues from the five union states communicated in a very friendly atmosphere. We demonstrated a common understanding that all of our decisions should aim to invigorate practical cooperation in all economic spheres.

Each EAEU member state addresses the task of developing Eurasian integration in a highly responsible manner. This integration can only develop with mutual respect and by meeting each other halfway.

We see that our partners see eye to eye with us, and we will work together towards the priorities laid out by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.

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