MINSK, 11 December (BelTA) – The countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) have demonstrated their unity in the face of modern challenges and threats, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said as he addressed the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on 11 December, BelTA has learned.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev thanked Belarus and its President Aleksandr Lukashenko for its successful, in his opinion, presidency in the EAEU this year.
Taking stock of this difficult year that was full of various challenges, primarily, the COVID-19 pandemic, the president noted that the EAEU member states have demonstrated their unity and ability to respond to threats together.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also spoke in detail about the situation in the EAEU countries. “The decisions aimed at protecting health and ensuring safety of the population of our countries were taken promptly. This is the achievement of the governments of the EAEU member states,” he stressed.
He also pointed out that the rapid spread of COVID-19, a drop in prices for raw materials, a slump in economic activity globally have had a negative impact on the EAEU countries' economies. Some analyses project that the global GDP will shrink by 4.5% in 2020 and that developing countries will report a 2.5% decline in the GDP. “In fact, this is the first major recession in this group of countries in the past 60 years,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
Due to the negative impact of the pandemic, the EAEU trade has also decreased this year. In view of this, the president of Kazakhstan called to consolidate efforts to find new capacities and unlock the untapped potential for the EAEU economic growth.
