The leaders of the EAEU met at the summit, which was in held via video due to the pandemic. One of the key issues is the creation of common energy markets. It is necessary to take into account the interests of all states of the Union, as Belarusian President noted. This is a guarantee of the stability of the association and creates the image of the EAEU. It was decided to raise the issue of forming a common gas market later in a full-time format.
Some processes in the unification are not going as fast as it could like. Much was said about the impending global food shortage because of the pandemic.
Everyone was quite optimistic, counting on an autumn face-to-face meeting during the previous summit in May. And Minsk was ready to welcome everyone as always. Kazakhstan, chairing the EAEU, emphasized the current format in connection with the coronavirus circumstances.
The summit of the leaders of the CSTO and the SCO, which took place in Tajikistan, gave an opportunity for personal communication in that sense. The meeting is held online again with a focus on the economy.
The Belarusian President started with an important issue. The common energy markets of the EAEU should be operational by January 1, 2025. The leaders instructed specialists to work on these issues in order to find approaches and solutions.
Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus:
We will discuss gas markets in a narrow format. One of the key documents, a decision on the transition to the second stage of creating common oil market, needs to be adopted in a wide composition. It involves the development of projects on the rules of trade and exchange by 2023. We have to develop an international agreement on the formation of common markets for oil products by 2024. At the same time, striving to create a common market for energy resources, it is necessary to take into account the interests of all member states of our Union. This is the only way we can ensure its stability and durability.
The global energy crisis did not affect the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union. The gas price is breaking all the records there because of the failed policy of Europe. The Armenian Prime Minister touched on the topic of hydrocarbons, but faces some technical difficulties.
Disagreements over the common gas market persist. The problem is long-standing since 2018. It concerns tariff setting for the transportation of blue fuel across the territory of the EAEU.
V. Putin: Sanctions are used as a tool to undermine legitimate governments
What will facilitate trade in the Union? Shared digital space and transit simplification should make everyone more mobile. So far, it has not been possible to reach a solution to a long-discussed issue - the recognition of an electronic digital signature in the EAEU. It is necessary to speed up the development of an agreement on a unified system of customs transit.
Alexander Lukashenko again urged his counterparts to think of food security. Judging by the speeches of the leaders, this topic is relevant to everyone. Experts talk about the coming crisis and their forecasts are impressive. Three million people on the planet can go hungry. External price shocks and food rush in the EAEU are useless.
Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus:
It is also necessary to reach a final solution to the problem of unilateral bans and restrictions on the supply of goods. Accordingly, it is necessary to ensure timely and full-fledged interstate exchange of information in the field of sanitary and veterinary control.
Everyone understands that it will be easier together, but abandoning national protectionism is not easy. It is vital to lean on cooperation. There will be no problems with import substitution as a result.
Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus:
It is important not only to promote industrial cooperation, but also to stimulate more advanced forms of cooperation by creating supranational Eurasian companies or consortium.The leaders stated that so far there is a shortage of large-scale investment projects in the EAEU. It definitely does not help to work in the conditions of sanctions.
Artak Kamalyan, Member of the Board (Minister) for Industry and Agroindustrial Complex of the EEC:
The main way of protection against the third forces is increasing the level of security in the field of industry. Import substitution programs should be implemented. There are instructions from our Presidents to develop measures to increase the level of import substitution in our Union. This can contribute to fight, within our competence, threats that come from the third forces.The cooperation also has a financial issue. In order to have more such common projects, convenient financing is needed. So it would be helpful to change the format of the Eurasian Development Bank as well as the use of national currencies in calculations.
Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus:
Dear colleagues, solving the mentioned issues will allow us to quickly overcome the consequences of the economic recession caused by the pandemic, restore business activity, stimulate the growth of industrial production, and improve the transit potential and competitive environment of our common economic space.The call of Belarus to respond to external economic pressure was jointly supported. It does not diminish, but only gets stronger. At the suggestion of our President, the EAEU has developed six measures to respond to the sanctions blackmail.
Igor Petrishenko, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus:
If an appeal is received from one of the member states, it will be analyzed, and the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council will be informed about the created proposals, which will already make a decision on launching a toolkit of six measures.The meeting in the Eurasian format is forcing the leader of Cuba to get up at dawn. This time, the summit began when it was 7 am. Cuba and Uzbekistan joined the Eurasian family as observers last year.
This thought is a refrain in virtually every public speech of the Cuban leader. The sanctions are almost like the coronavirus. And if the grave consequences of Covid can be neutralized by the vaccine, then a strong Eurasian Union will be the answer to the economic pressure.
The leaders of the EAEU countries approved a statement on economic cooperation on the climate agenda.
A conversation between the heads of the CIS states is scheduled.












