Eurasian Economic Union should at least rival European Union

Eurasian Economic Union should at least rival European Union, notes Alexander Lukashenko, on meeting Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission, Tigran Sargsyan

Tigran Sargsyan

“There is no turning back. We need to improve the Eurasian Economic Union, so that it’s as good as the European Union. Otherwise, our people will think that we are just babblers,” stressed the Belarusian leader. Mr. Lukashenko noted that the EAEU, which was established within a rather short period of time, has achieved much. “Many drawbacks and pending issues exist, for objective and subjective reasons, and need to be solved. All parties, from the Eurasian Economic Commission to presidents and prime ministers, must do their best to advance the Eurasian Economic Union to a brand-new level,” said the President.

In 2015, Belarus presided over the EAEU and put forward a plan of action. Mr. Lukashenko stated that, for various reasons, we are yet to solve a number of issues. To a certain extent, this is due to changes in the composition of the Eurasian Economic Commission. He notes, “We haven’t done enough somewhere or there has been too much uncertainty. The accession of Kazakhstan to the WTO also had an impact; we had to adapt.”

In spite of these problems, the Belarusian Head of State remains optimistic about the future of the Eurasian Economic Union. He underlines, “Life will compel us to make progress in establishing the union, building the formula we’ve always spoken of. We need to ensure real freedom of markets, capital, and workforce within our borders. Our national problems shouldn’t hinder the promotion of common interests and the resolution of pending issues.”

Tigran Sargsyan expressed hope that efforts to create a single economic space and to share huge experience will inspire integration processes. “Our citizens and businesses should see real benefits from these activities,” he noted, highlighting serious transformations in the world. He believes that there are new challenges for European integration, saying, “It will be easier for us to cope will all these modern challenges together.” He feels confident that priorities determined during the presidency of Belarus will remain in the spotlight. However, much is yet to be achieved.