MINSK, 14 August (BelTA) - Delegation heads participating in the narrow-format meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, discussed a range of serious and complex issues, Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Natalya Petkevich outlined the key priorities of the event, BelTA has learned.
First, the delegations addressed customs regulation matters. “All global challenges - whether concerning customs duties or counterfeit goods -inevitably impact our states. Therefore, it is crucial to jointly protect our customs space. This requires adapting legislation and customs practices, as well as advancing digitalization. These processes are technologically complex and equally challenging in terms of legal regulation,” the deputy prime minister noted.
This year marks the conclusion of the five-year implementation period for strategic Eurasian integration goals. “Unfortunately, some issues remain difficult to resolve. There is a shared desire to achieve full implementation of the Eurasian Economic Integration Strategy. All structures are working intensively at every level to address problematic areas and seek compromises,” she added.
Additionally, the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting addressed the protection of citizens' rights within the EAEU framework. “A particularly challenging issue concerns protecting our countries' domestic producers. Differences exist both in legal regulations and foreign trade conditions. The heads of our governments sought compromise solutions. It is encouraging to see mutual willingness to meet each other halfway, and while no final decision has been reached yet, all parties demonstrate full readiness to ultimately resolve this matter,” Natalya Petkevich concluded.
In her words, progress on digitalization remains difficult. “The process is challenging because everyone seeks to protect their systems. This is understandable, especially given cybersecurity threats and varying levels of digital readiness across our countries. Unfortunately, we are experiencing delays in implementing digital signatures, which is likely the main reason other aspects are also progressing slowly,” the deputy prime minister explained. “We believe the priority should be electronic document management to streamline monitoring of administrative processes and business conditions for our enterprises. This requires maximizing the transition to digital systems, though implementation remains challenging.”
Nevertheless, this issue is the most fundamental one for Belarus. “Both our tax and customs authorities have made significant advances. We are actively sharing our practices with partners. Notably, today's discussions repeatedly highlighted that many of Belarus' proposals on customs administration are being seriously considered and adopted,” Natalya Petkevich added.
Follow us on:
