Presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia meet in Astana

22 марта 2015

By Olga Makei: Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin and Nursultan Nazarbayev held a trilateral meeting in Astana, which was dedicated mostly to economy. Another major topic was the situation in Ukraine. This year alone, Alexander Lukashenko personally discussed this issue with Vladimir Putin twice - in Sochi and at the Normandy Four summit in Minsk. Communicating with his Belarusian counterpart, Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev thanked Alexander Lukashenko for Minsk’s special role in resolving the conflict.

Belarus is the first EAEU chair. Already at the start of the integration, the official Minsk set a rule of the four economic freedoms: the movement of goods, services, capital and labour. It is the total abolition of exceptions and limitations that should be the basis of the union. However, there are still some problems related to the economic situation in the region, such as economic sanctions and the collapse of the Russian ruble. To eliminate the negative trends, the politicians gathered at the negotiating table, because together it is easier to respond to threats and challenges and solve common problems.

The Presidents agreed to meet on 8 May in Moscow. By this time, the EAEU Governments will have jointly made concrete decisions.

After the talks, the leaders of the three countries visited the library of Kazakhstan's first President in Astana. Its funds include more than 40,000 books and 700 items from Nazarbayev’s personal collection. The politicians had a tour of the library and communicated with students and schoolchildren.