EAEU leaders start meeting of Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in narrow format

ASTANA, May 31. /TASS/. The leaders of Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member countries have started the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in the narrow format. It was preceded by the bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Kazakhstani counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev. The meeting is planned to be followed by a session in the broad format. Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said on Monday that the leaders will discuss several issues of economic cooperation with third countries and associations at the meeting in the narrow format. In particular, a separate topic for discussion will be cooperation with China. Ushakov noted that it included, among other things, linking EAEU and the Silk Road Economic Belt. He added that another topic for discussion in the narrow format will be relations with the European Union (EU). Ushakov reminded about EAEU’s position that European and Eurasian integration are capable of and should effectively complement each other. 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