Session of Supreme Eurasian Economic Commission

Belarusian President took part in the session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Commission held via press conference on 10 December.

Taking part in the summit were the heads of state of the Eurasian Economic Union, Honorary Chairman of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, First President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, the presidents of the observer states (Cuba and Uzbekistan), as well as Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission Mikhail Myasnikovich.

The agenda featured more than 20 issues. The heads of state of the Eurasian Economic Union heard out a report on the implementation of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council decisions as of 11 December 2020 on strategic objectives for Eurasian economic integration until 2025 and on the progress in the negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The members of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council considered the main areas of international activities of the Eurasian Economic Union for 2022, the status of observer states in the EAEU, liberalization of some services in the EAEU, the functioning of the common market of construction services and uniform approaches to appraisal activity in this field, as well as the protocol on introducing amendments to the Treaty on the EAEU, the so called II Big Protocol, and three agreements - on navigational seals for tracking shipments, on audit activities in the EAEU and on enforcement of the obligation to pay customs duties, taxes, special, anti-dumping, countervailing duties during the carriage (transportation) of goods during the customs transit.

In his speech Aleksandr Lukashenko urged leaders to respond to the present challenges more seriously.

“I really hope that this will be the last year when we are communicating via video conferences. Our honorable chairman [Nursultan Nazarbayev] was right. Not only do we miss in-person meetings, it is also high time we started seriously responding to constantly emerging challenges,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

The head of state noted that his colleagues in the Eurasian Economic Union are well aware of the situation in Belarus and the country’s relations with the West. “Unfortunately, it is part of the first item on the international news agenda. We are not happy about it but we have to understand that the United States and the collective West will not abandon their policy. They need reasons to pressure our brotherly Russia and us, too,” Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out.

In his words, the situation at the Belarusian-Polish border and the migrant crisis became another reason of this kind. “We didn’t generate this problem and you, former post-Soviet republics didn’t either but it is used as a pretext for pressure, primarily pressure on Belarus,” the President stressed.

Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked that countries of the Eurasian Economic Union are subjected to Western pressure to various degrees for now. But this pressure will only grow, he is convinced.

“We know that the West and the United States have already started asking you to join the pressure on Belarus. You know, they have already issued a fifth package of sanctions against Belarus. There will be a sixth, a seventh and no one knows how many more. This is economic pressure on Belarus to change, as they say directly, not only the government but the entire state system in Belarus,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

The President thanked Russia and other EAEU states for support to Belarus.

“But I emphasize one more time: figuratively speaking, they are going to strangle you in order to turn you against Belarus, in order to get you to join these sanctions against our country. I’d like us to stay together because this pressure will only grow higher. The West will not limit itself to pressuring Belarus and Russia,” the Belarusian leader warned.

"One thing is clear: the true goal of the West is the systemic elimination of competition. This situation clearly demonstrated that we have no friends there," the head of state emphasized.

The President urged the EAEU countries to rely on their own strength only and to promote import substitution. "We can provide ourselves with everything we need," the head of state said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko commented on the key issues on the EAEU agenda.

In spite of the persistent difficult situation on the global market, in 2021 the countries managed to produce rather good results in foreign and mutual trade, the head of state remarked. “Virtually all countries of our union have a double-digit increase in export to foreign markets, and this is a good sign. This is not only the result of deferred demand on a low base from the previous year,” the Belarusian leader emphasized.

On the formation of common markets

According to the President, the implementation of strategic guidelines of developing the Eurasian economic integration till 2025 has proceeded as planned. “In spite of certain difficulties, we continue doing our best to build common markets in the union. At the same time, we still need to address some important issues in the process of building common markets of gas, oil and oil products,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

“I think that in the near future we will have a chance to discuss these issues,” he added.

On the digitization of transportation

An agreement on the use of navigation seals for transportation tracking in the EAEU was submitted for signing at the summit. This agreement is one of the crucial elements for the formation of the single system of customs transit in the union.

“The digitization of transportation fully meets the spirit of the time. The use of such seals will help promote trust in trade between our countries, optimize control events at internal borders, improve the transit attractiveness of the union,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

On changes dictated by life itself

Another document submitted for signing is the second big protocol on the introduction of amendments to the EAEU Treaty involving a wide range of issues such as the application of antidumping measures in relation to third countries, competition and state pricing regulation, indirect taxes and the mechanism of controlling their payment, technical regulations and other things. “All that is dictated by life itself,” the head of state remarked.

On international cooperation

In accordance with the major priorities of international activities in the EAEU in 2022 which are seeking approval, Aleksandr Lukashenko deems it necessary to focus on a number of crucial issues.

In his words, joint work with foreign countries and the operation of the Eurasian Economic Commission should be focused on the resolution of practical tasks such as the promotion of export of goods and services.

“China has a special place here. I deem it necessary to focus on the interaction with this country within the framework of the coordination of plans to develop the EAEU, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the 2018 trade and economic cooperation agreement.

Aleksandr Lukashenko also wants to continue the dialogue with Egypt and Iran in order to finish the talks on the free trade agreement, and to intensify the dialogue with Israel.

It is expected that the preliminary work with Indonesia and Mongolia will be finished soon and a decision on the viability of the free trade agreement talks with these countries will be made soon.

Aleksandr Lukashenko is convinced that the efficient protection of the economic interests of the EAEU should be the main priority of the economic activities in 2022 and in the long run.

On keeping positive dynamics of economic growth

The head of state remarked that the favorable situation in foreign trade has a cyclic nature, and in order to keep the positive dynamics of economic growth, the EAEU partners should take a number of measures in 2022.

According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, first of all, it is essential to intensify industrial cooperation and to produce new in-demand products together. “The coordination of the list of joint large-scale high-tech projects and the clarification of their financing and implementation conditions will be an important practical step in this field. We are working on such projects with the Russian Federation,” the President said. “In order to solve this issue, in the coming years we need to pay attention to the application of innovative technologies not to lose foreign markets. The accumulation of joint efforts and the scientific potential of our countries will give maximum benefits.”

The President deems it necessary to coordinate the instruments and conditions of state support of the manufacturing sector in the EAEU countries to promote the harmonious development of this sector and to ensure productive cooperation between the member states.

“Within the framework of the formation of the common market of public procurement contracts next year at the level of the union we need to ensure the mutual recognition of electronic digital signatures and to determine a set of measures to promote public procurement digitization in our countries. For this purpose, we need to solve another pending issue – the mutual recognition of guarantees issued by banks in our countries,” the Belarusian leader continued.

Apart from that, taking into account the recently adopted statement on cooperation on the climate agenda and intention of world’s leading countries to develop low-carbon economy, Aleksandr Lukashenko deems it necessary to analyze the necessity to amend the provisions of the EAEU development strategy.

“I believe that decent work on these issues will bring us maximum benefits and ensure a significant progress in the implementation of the strategy,” the head of state concluded.