ASTANA (TCA) — Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev has proposed declaring 2016 the “year of deepening economic relations of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) with third countries and key integration associations”.
The proposal was announced in Nazarbayev’s address as the Chairman of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council to the heads of member states of the Eurasian Economic Union.
The address was posted on February 11 on the website of the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan.
In 2016, Kazakhstan chairs the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council and the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission.
“We see the Eurasian Economic Union as an open economic community, organically integrated into the global economic system as a reliable bridge between Europe and growing Asia,” Nazarbayev said in the address.
“In the light of slowing global growth, efforts of our countries in the development of economic integration, the creation of a common market of goods, services, capital and labor can be a key source of economic diversification and growth. Expansion of trade and economic relations with key partners and new growth markets should be an impetus for strengthening of the role of the Eurasian Economic Union at the continent,” he continues.
In Nazarbayev’s opinion, an important fact in this regard is simultaneous establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union and the initiative for the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt, the deepening of cooperation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the European Union. In this regard, 2016 should be the start of practical work on the creation of long-term free trade zones in the member-states of the EEU and the SCO.
In order to ensure free movement of energy resources, implementation of the export potential of EEU countries, Nazarbayev proposed to step up adoption and implementation of the programs on formation of common electricity, oil and oil products and gas markets.
The Eurasian Economic Union includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.
