ArmInfo. Yerevan is preparing to host the summit of the Eurasian Economic Union, which will be held in the Armenian capital on October 1 and in which the heads of all participating states will participate.
Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan stated this at a press conference in Yerevan on September 6, answering the question about the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the summit and Yerevan's position regarding the desire of the Russian leader to meet with the second President of Armenia Robert Kocharian, who is currently in custody , and whether it will affect the Armenian-Russian relations.
The Armenian Foreign Minister stressed that the goal of the summit is to deepen and expand the integration processes within the structure. "Armenian-Russian relations will only benefit from this summit, I assure you. A clear agenda for cooperation has been formed between Armenia and Russia," Mnatsakanyan said.
Touching upon Armenia's Prime Minister's invitation of the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to the EAEU summit in Yerevan, Mnatsakanyan stated that Armenia, as a full member of the organization and the host country, considering the importance of expanding the integration processes in the structure, took this step. He recalled that the EAEU aims to deepen integration processes not only with member countries, but also with other states. "Invitations were also sent based on the principles of the priority of the agenda of the meeting," the Armenian minister said.
Touching upon the participation of Rouhani in the event, Mnatsakanyan recalled the close friendly relations with Iran. According to him, the agenda of the Armenian-Iranian cooperation this year was quite comprehensive. "The priority of developing relations with our neighbors, Iran and Georgia, is also clearly reflected in the program of the government of Armenia," he said, adding that relations cover such areas as security, development, and differentiation of energy resources to achieve specific results. "Continuing to contribute to the development of Armenian-Iranian friendly relations, we are convinced that our membership in the EAEU will allow us to use the existing advantages for the benefit of the interests of the two countries," the Armenian Foreign Minister noted.
To recall, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani received an invitation from the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan to visit Yerevan on October 1. In addition to inviting Rouhani, Pashinyan during his visit to Singapore discussed the issue of a free trade agreement with the EAEU and received assurances from the Prime Minister of Singapore that if the negotiations on the agreement were successfully completed, the Prime Minister of Singapore would take part in the Yerevan Summit, where this document could be signed. The EAEU summit will take place in Yerevan on October 1, at which the heads of the EAEU countries will arrive, including Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Eurasian Economic Union is an international organization with the goal of ensuring freedom of movement of goods, services, capital and labor, pursuing a coordinated or uniform policy of the member states of the union. The Union was created on the basis of the Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus and the Common Economic Space. The agreement on the creation of the EAEU was signed on May 29, 2014 in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, and entered into force on January 1, 2015. The supreme body of the EAEU is the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council (EEC), which includes the heads of the EAEU. The Council meets at least once a year. At least twice a year, the Intergovernmental Council meets, which includes the chairmen of the governments of member countries. The standing body is the Eurasian Economic Commission. To resolve contentious issues, there is a court of the Union. The EAEU Chairmanship is transferred every year to the next country in alphabetical order. The EAEU budget is formed from the contributions of member states in Russian rubles. In 2015, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan joined the EAEU. Since 2018, Moldova has observer status. China, Iran, Vietnam and Cuba have signed free trade zone agreements with the EAEU. In total, about 50 countries announced their desire in one way or another to cooperate with the EAEU.