Economy is paramount

President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko met with heads of government delegations participating in the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council and the CIS Heads of Government Council in Minsk

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Welcoming the guests, the Head of State reminded that a few months ago, the strategic directions for co-operation within the EAEU were thoroughly discussed at the level of heads of state in the Belarusian capital. The President regarded the meeting as a continuation of this valuable and significant dialogue,

“Today, we have gathered in an expanded format, including representatives from the CIS member states. The integration of these two frameworks — the EAEU and the CIS — enables our countries to expand the potential of economic co-operation to a broad integration contour by jointly addressing the most challenging issues in the real sector of the economy.”

According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, as a result, the CIS and the EAEU countries are showing good development rates. “Last year, the GDP within our associations grew by 4.5 percent. Industrial production experienced growth at the same rate. Inflationary processes are under control, there is no problem of unemployment, and income growth is ensured,” the Head of State highlighted.
As noted by the President of Belarus, implementing joint sci-tech projects, establishing reliable transport and logistics systems, and expanding mutually beneficial trade and investment will help sustain economic stability and boost key indicators in the region.

Key players in establishing just world order

The Head of State highlighted that the scope of free trade is currently broadening. In May 2025, a comprehensive agreement between the EAEU and the Islamic Republic of Iran entered into force. In June, trade agreements were signed in Minsk with the United Arab Emirates and Mongolia. Negotiations with Indonesia are nearing completion, and relevant discussions with India have resumed.
“However, trade represents only a portion of the full range of international relations. The recent SCO summit in China reaffirmed the global majority’s commitment to co-operation founded on equality and mutual respect: without imposition, threats, illegal restrictions or coercion,” the Belarusian leader pointed out.
Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasised that the world is tired of the West’s persistent efforts to maintain its dominance and enforce unequal co-operation conditions, “Belarus views the CIS and the EAEU as key players in establishing a just multipolar world order. Through the EAEU and the CIS, a multi-tiered regional co-operation framework has been developed to integrate various initiatives. The Commonwealth should position itself as a respected and influential organisation that genuinely fosters equal political and humanitarian relations. Meanwhile, the Eurasian Economic Union should serve as a model for building robust economic partnerships based on the principles of openness and mutual benefit.”
The President wished all meeting participants continued success in Minsk and affirmed that Belarus will keep actively supporting the strengthening of partnerships among the countries and the advancement of integration in all forms.

Effective formula of integration

The development of the CIS and the EAEU should be based on justice, sincerity and equality of our relations, Aleksandr Lukashenko added. The Belarusian leader believes that Russia is the central force for integration in the post-Soviet space, “Russia needs to play a key role in binding, uniting and preventing our alliances from breaking apart during this period. It has always been difficult for Russia, but it must play its part in this regard. We need to move forward in this direction. The most important aspect is the economy. We should maintain the economy at the highest level. Above all, let’s focus on our countries implementing certain programmes, agreements and development plans, while supporting each other as much as possible. Our relationships must be based on justice, sincerity and equality.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko once again wished all participants of the meeting successful work, “I assure you that if something depends on us in solving certain issues, you can definitely count on us.”

During INNOPROM. Belarus International Industrial Exhibition in Minsk, prime ministers of CIS countries were photographed
against background of BELAZ 75710, world’s largest mining dump truck                   Aleksandr Kulevsky

Time to stay united 

The President particularly focused the attention of the meeting participants on an important point, “If we have the economy in the foundation of our relations, then we will build up everything else — just as it was in the good Soviet times, when the party work relied on the results and economic performance. I believe that the economy is the foundation of our relations. I will put it simply, though the states whose prime ministers are present here share different approaches: let’s not lose what has been gained by previous generations of our people, let’s preserve the economic relations, which is our foundation.”

The Belarusian leader emphasised, “The problem of all conflicts, wars and so on is rooted in the economy. The world is being carved up, there is a competitive battle, and I would like us to stand our ground in this struggle. We can do this only if we are united.”

The President is convinced that the EAEU and CIS member states should stick together. “Let’s not run in different directions. No one is waiting for us anywhere. They can tear us away from the common root, and there have been examples in history. Who will need us then? Nobody! Our unity is paramount, we should preserve what has been gained by previous generations, what we have now,” Aleksandr Lukashenko addressed those present.

Food security issue

According to the Head of State, food security is an important component of regional integration. “It is not just about developing agriculture, but ensuring food security. This concerns social stability and, without exaggeration, the survival of nations and states. We recognised the importance of this issue long ago, and the harsh sanctions imposed on Belarus only confirmed that pursuing self-sufficiency in the most critical areas was the right path. Everything needed for successful co-operation between our countries in the agro-industrial sector and for achieving our goals in international food markets is available,” the Belarusian leader emphasised.
In this context, Aleksandr Lukashenko welcomed the proposals to expand the current system of subsidising industrial co-operation projects from the EAEU budget to include projects within the agro-industrial complex.

Co-operation in digitalisation and service sector

Aleksandr Lukashenko stated the need to step up co-operation in the field of digitalisation and in the service sector. The President pointed out that although digitalisation is widely discussed today, effective co-operation in this area is still lacking. He cited the long-standing unresolved issue of recognising digital signatures as an example, “There are two main tasks: first, to enable mutual access to national information systems, and second, to ensure their compatibility.”
The Head of State emphasised that Belarus and Russia are making ‘very good progress’ in this area. He asserted that these issues will be settled soon, and other countries can draw on the experience of Belarus and Russia, if they wish.
The President of Belarus also brought up another significant topic, noting that over a decade has passed since the establishment of the EAEU, and nearly thirty-five years since the formation of the CIS. “Although we have successfully created a real internal market for the trade of goods, albeit with certain restrictions, we have only reached basic agreements regarding the trade in services. At the same time, the service sector represents over half of our GDP. I believe it is essential to clearly express our political will on this issue and affirm our strong commitment to speeding up integration in the service sector, as well as to expanding investment co-operation,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stated.

DURING THE MEETING, PRESIDENT OF BELARUS ALEKSANDR LUKASHENKO PROPOSED TO PERSUADE TAJIKISTAN TO JOIN THE EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION  

After the speech by Prime Minister of Tajikistan Kohir Rasulzoda, the Head of State said, “As I understand it, Tajikistan is not ready to join the EAEU yet. Mikhail Vladimirovich [Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin], we need to somehow persuade our colleague.”
Currently, the Eurasian Economic Union unites Belarus, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Armenia. 

Based on materials of sb.by and belta.by