Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting takes place in Kazakh capital

15 questions on trade and economic cooperation and expansion of mutual trade between the EAEU member states were raised by the participants of the meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in an expanded format in the capital of Kazakhstan. The participants discussed ways to remove barriers within the Union’s internal market and promote integration potential in certain sectors of the economy. One of the important issues that they managed to discuss was the progress in implementing the agreement on the mechanism for the traceability of goods, as well as the access of partner countries to public procurement. Everything should become simpler, from customs control to sanitary, veterinary and other unreasonable restrictions, the participants of the meeting noted. According to the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Alikhan Smailov, it is also necessary to establish equal access to transport infrastructure, including seaports.

“A prerequisite for increasing mutual trade is the creation of a barrier-free environment in the domestic market. I have to note that from year to year, a significant part of the issues related to restrictions on access to the market of partners does not find its solution. If we are interested in creating a transparent market in the EAEU, we need to decide on basic shifts. We suggest that the Commission develop a methodology for the economic assessment of the applied barriers. The priority task is to increase exports and take measures to stimulate them,” the PM said.

The Heads of Governments of the EAEU countries approved the Eurasian Agroexpress, which provides for the launch of accelerated rail and multimodal transportation. The main task is to increase the volume of mutual deliveries and exports of agricultural products and foodstuffs. At the first stage, regular shipments outside the EAEU will be organized in two directions - to China and Uzbekistan.

Translation by Aruzhan Bizhigitova

Editing by Galiya Khassenkhanova