MINSK, 26 June (BelTA) – The EAEU member states have more flexibility in decision-making than the EU countries, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maksim Ryzhenkov told the media on the sidelines of the Eurasian Economic Forum in Minsk on 26 June, BelTA has learned.
“If we compare the EAEU with the European Union, I would like to say that our union demonstrates more flexibility in decision-making, takes into account each other’s interests, and finds consensus in resolving various issues. This comes despite the fact that it unites countries with such potential as, for example, Russia and Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Kazakhstan. In fact, our leaders, or vice premiers, or relevant ministers take the interests of others into account. There is no so-called mentoring in relations,” Maksim Ryzhenkov said in response to a question from journalists.
More than half of the EU member states do not have any decisive voice in decision-making, the minister of foreign affairs said. “Those who raise their voices in support of certain economic or political things are immediately set down, threatened with taking away funds, and so on. In general, Brussels has become such a European regional committee. Latvia or Estonia, which at one time fled from the Moscow regional committee, received another one, which does not take into account their interests at all,” he stressed.
According to the Belarusian minister of foreign affairs, there are more prospects in the EAEU: “The Union is developing taking into account the peculiarities [of its member states]. It's more multifaceted. Naturally, this necessitates listening to each other and taking into account the features of each country.”
According to Maksim Ryzhenkov, the EAEU member states retain many national powers, which let them build their own policies in some areas. “This is something the European Union lacks. Today we see how the EU machine crushes the economies of many countries, not even allowing them to escape. This will only be getting worse,” the minister of foreign affairs said.
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