Lukashenko voiced seven EAEU priorities for next five years, they range from economic to humanitarian aspects
President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko focused on key areas of work for the implementation of Belarusian priorities in 2025, including in relation to the tasks for the next five years, at today’s extended meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in St. Petersburg
As noted by the Head of State, the first direction relates to industrial growth and technological development, “In the coming five years, the efforts of the EAEU countries will focus on forming a common space for co-operative interaction and enhancing technological development processes. It is obvious that the EAEU industrial potential is underused, and I am confident that we are ready to implement specific co-operation projects in key industries and technological areas.”
The President noted a growing interest from the real sector of the economy in the financial support instruments offered within the EAEU framework, “In 2025, the number of business applications within the framework of the industrial co-operation support mechanism at the expense of the EAEU budget increased from 2 to 14 compared to last year (5 of them have been agreed upon, and nine are undergoing approval). We expect the Commission to work vigorously on this track.”
The second direction deals with co-operation in the field of agriculture. According to the President, decisive steps are needed to reduce dependence on imports in this area to a statistical margin of error. “Farmers of the EAEU countries can not only provide enough food for our citizens, but are also able to take a significant place in the global food market,” he said.
The next priority is strengthening transport and logistics capabilities.
The Head of State emphasised that this is one of the key areas for priority co-operation with the observer countries of the EAEU, “This year, efforts continued to develop Eurasian transport corridors and routes. Significant attention was given to the digitalisation of transportation and creating opportunities for ‘seamless’ movement. The development of relevant decisions within the EEC framework should be closely monitored.”
The fourth aspect is the functioning of the EAEU internal market.
“We will persistently strive for its efficient and co-ordinated functioning in the interests of the EAEU’s economies,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stated. “We expect further progress towards establishing a common commodity exchange market within the EAEU.”
The next area of co-operation is digital transformation. The President noted that throughout the year, close attention was given to the implementation of the ‘roadmap’ aimed at creating favourable conditions for e-commerce and developing modern distribution channels.
“Although there are some difficulties, we are progressing in this direction as much as we can. Digitalisation is a key issue for the EAEU. I am primarily referring to digital signatures, especially in the context of public procurement, where the market in the EAEU countries could surpass the 2024 level by 2025, exceeding $143bn! In general, the digital environment should make a significant contribution to the competitiveness of our economies, rather than creating additional barriers within the EAEU,” the Head of State pointed out.
Another priority of co-operation is the international direction. The Head of State highlighted the successful holding of the 4th Eurasian Economic Forum in Minsk this June, “Efforts are ongoing to create a network of preferential trade agreements between the EAEU and other countries. In June, an economic partnership agreement with the UAE and a temporary trade agreement with Mongolia were signed in Minsk. Today, we are pleased to welcome our new partner, the Republic of Indonesia, with whom we plan to finalise an agreement during this summit. At present, our goal is to identify a list of new partners. There is significant interest from many countries. I believe that among the countries of Africa and Asia, there are numerous friendly states whose trade relations can enhance the economic strength of the EAEU.”
The President highlighted that the Eurasian Economic Union’s presence is becoming more prominent globally, from Geneva to New York. “The approved main directions for the EAEU’s international activities in the upcoming year aim to further accelerate progress in this area,” he stated.
The Belarusian leader identified the seventh area of integration as the humanitarian dimension, “This year, we have focused our co-operation agenda on humanitarian and social issues. The main directions for economic interaction in sports have been approved. Today, we will adopt the tourism development strategy. Looking ahead, we suggest placing special emphasis on mutually beneficial co-operation in healthcare, education, culture and information exchange. A key priority of our work is to create a comfortable environment for citizens. The strength of the EAEU is reflected in simple and clear matters for people: no border queues, the ability to access education without barriers and recognition of qualification documents, access to medical care and mobile communication while roaming, and the ability to use traditional payment methods without unjustified restrictions. However, there is still work to be done in these areas.”
As noted by Aleksandr Lukashenko, not everything outlined in the programme of the Belarusian chairmanship was accomplished by the EAEU member states, “I am confident that what benefits us will also be sought after by the upcoming chairmanship, which will be assumed by Kazakhstan.”
