MOSCOW, 27 May (BelTA) - The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries will work on a development strategy for the Greater Eurasian Partnership based on the results of the Eurasian Economic Forum held in Bishkek on 26 May, BelTA learned from the press service of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC).
According to the EEC, the large business event brought together over 2,500 participants from 25 countries in Bishkek. New sectors and areas of cooperation in the EAEU were discussed by representatives of business and government bodies, top officials of the Eurasian Five countries and delegates of international, scientific and educational organizations interested in the development of cooperation within the economic union.
The topics of the six panel discussions included macroeconomic stability in turbulent times, stimulation of economic activity through financial instruments, development of industry and agro-industrial complex, energy and transport infrastructure, and implementation of digital technologies. Separate blocks highlighted promising areas of business development in the new realities, the tourism industry and the role of young people in the integration processes.
The forum featured a total of 39 events, including 21 thematic sessions and an exhibition of the best agricultural products of the EAEU countries with participation of more than 50 companies from the EAEU. Some 17 programs and bilateral contracts in various areas were signed on the sidelines of the forum.
“One of the most significant agreements is the memorandum of cooperation on the EAEU joint project of high-speed rail and multimodal transportation of agricultural products and food products Eurasian AgroExpress. Thanks to this project the first tonnes of agricultural products will already be delivered from Kyrgyzstan to Russia these days. During the forum the Eurasian Economic Commission and the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly signed a strategic partnership program through 2025. The Eurasian Development Bank and the Ministry of Digital Development of Kyrgyzstan signed a memorandum on joint implementation of a digital transformation project. The five countries also agreed on cooperation in online trade, which is especially important for ordinary citizens. Agreements were signed to set up electronic trading platforms and procurement system,” official representative of the Eurasian Economic Commission Iya Malkina said summing up the results of the forum at a press conference.
The plenary session of the Eurasian Economic Forum was attended by Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the chairman of the EEC Board. They discussed the EAEU prospects in the era of global transformations and assessed the economic integration in the Eurasian space.
“The most interesting ideas were voiced on the sidelines of the plenary session. Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested working out a comprehensive development strategy for the Greater Eurasian Partnership. Chairman of the EEC Board Mikhail Myasnikovich spoke in favor of developing a long-term program of economic self-sufficiency of the union. An initiative was voiced to found an interstate arbitration to help businessmen of the member states resolve disputes. Noteworthy is also the proposal of the Russian Ministry of Energy to build new and expand the existing pipelines. This is especially important for South Asia. It is possible to organize the energy flow from Siberia to Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, which will smooth out all the problems and will contribute to integration,” Iya Malkina commented on the agreements.
