MINSK, 21 October (BelTA) - The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is interested in closer ties with the EAEU, Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Mikhail Myasnikovich told the media following the meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Yerevan on 21 October, BelTA has learned.
"I would like to draw attention to the promising areas that the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council considered and made appropriate decisions on them. For example, serious mechanisms have been suggested to advance industrial cooperation. This is not just a mutual supply of raw materials, components, intermediate goods. We are talking about joint integration projects. In addition, the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council has identified the sources of financing that will be used to subsidize interest rates on loans allocated to the business community for these projects. This is a significant step forward, in fact a new page in our integration. This issue will be submitted to the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council. Plans are in place to give the EEC, together with the governments, the opportunity to allocate certain amounts of funds to support integration projects," Mikhail Myasnikovich said.
The Eurasian Intergovernmental Council also considered obstacles in mutual trade in goods and services. "The heads of government were unanimous that the existing obstacles should be eliminated as much as possible this year. It is also important not to create new ones. To this end, appropriate long-term measures have been approved. This will allow business to be quite optimistic about development prospects," he said.
According to Mikhail Myasnikovich, decisions have been made regarding the hydrocarbon market. "This is about the common market for gas, oil and petroleum products. The parties also exchanged views on the electricity market. All this inspires confidence that our Union has good prospects," the chairman of the EEC Board emphasized.
"Work is underway to further the international cooperation in terms of FTA agreements with Iran, India, the UAE and also Indonesia. Interest in our union is quite big," he said. “There is also a serious interest on the part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization for closer work with the EAEU. Relevant documents were signed with the SCO secretariat."
For his part, Kyrgyzstan Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov noted: "During the meeting, we heard a progress report on the preparation of international agreements on the formation of the EAEU common markets for gas, oil and petroleum products. We discussed the situation with obstacles in the EAEU domestic market, made a decision on the sources and mechanisms for financing industrial cooperation projects."
According to him, the heads of government signed an agreement on the rules for the issue, circulation and redemption of warehouse certificates for agricultural products in the EAEU and a number of other decisions. In addition, views were exchanged on other issues of interaction within the framework of Eurasian integration. "I am convinced that the results of this meeting will contribute to Eurasian integration and improve the well-being of our peoples," the prime minister emphasized.
The next meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council will be held in Almaty on 2-3 February.
