MINSK, 14 April (BelTA) – The member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) need new regional production and technological chains to support the economic sector of the union amid the current unfavorable epidemiological situation, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said as he took part in a video conference meeting of members of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on 14 April, BelTA has learned.
Apart from the response to the current situation, the Kazakhstan president believes it is important to take measures for the medium and long term. “Our countries have significant capacities to make agricultural and food products. We could decide on mechanisms to strengthen cooperation in improving food self-sufficiency, increasing the production of our own finished products, entering foreign markets and sharing experience in agricultural science,” he said.
The development of regional production and technological chains may become an important area of joint work in the EAEU. “The crisis will significantly change the global landscape of value added chains. Nationalization, regionalization will largely determine the structure of global production, trade and logistics. With these changes in mind, we can start developing regional value added chains based on the competitive advantages of our economies,” said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
According to him, approaches to mutual trade should be revisited “taking into account the unconditional barrier-free movement of goods in the union”. “We have repeatedly discussed the removal of barriers in our domestic market. Unfortunately, during the crisis, new barriers are emerging. Apparently, at this stage, they cannot be avoided. It is quite natural. It is important not to make them permanent and part of normative and law-enforcement practice,” the president of Kazakhstan said.
