EAEU coordinating joint position to start talks on making agreement with China - diplomat

MOSCOW, May 31. /TASS/. Work on the cooperation agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and China will start very soon, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said on Tuesday. "The negotiations process on cooperation between EAEU and China is just starting. EAEU members countries are expected to confirm their joint positions today in Astana on holding talks with Beijing," Morgulov said. "The process will start very soon from the common negotiations position but it is hard to say how much time it will take," he added. The program of linking the Silk Road Economic Belt Project and EAEU is carried out in parallel with creating the free trade zone between EAEU and China, Morgulov continued. "Talking about linking the Silk Road project and EAEU, talks on this matter are held jointly in the form of coordinating different infrastructure and investment projects," he noted. "We have already handed to our Chinese friends the list of our proposals on such priority cooperation projects as linking (EAEU and Silk Road Economic Belt). We are now expecting a response from Chinese partners. After coordinating the list, we will start its practical implementation. I think that there are medium-term prospects for linking, work is actively carried out. I think that the results will be seen soon," Morgulov said. Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said on Monday that the leaders of EAEU member countries will kick off talks on trade and economic agreement with China on May 31. He added that cooperation with China will become a separate topic for discussion at the talks of the leaders in the narrow format in the framework of the session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council. Earlier today Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the conference "Russia and China: to the new quality of bilateral relations" that the principal agreement was reached on ways to link Eurasian integration and China’s Silk Belt Economic Project. Eurasian Economic Union The Treaty on the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union was signed by the presidents of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan on May 29, 2014 in Astana. The agreement is the basic document defining the accords between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan for creating the Eurasian Economic Union for the free movement of goods, services, capital and workforce and conducting coordinated, agreed or common policies in key sectors of the economy, such as energy, industry, agriculture and transport. The agreement stipulates the transition of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan to the next stage of integration after the Customs Union and the common economic space. Kyrgyzstan and Armenia also joined the EAEU. Read more