Tuesday, October 1 2019 16:51

ArmInfo. The enlarged meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council kicked off in Yerevan. "The EAEU, which is 5 years old, is growing stronger from year to year and  has already proved its viability and attractiveness as an integration  association," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the  opening of the meeting.

The head of the Armenian government recalled that from January 1,  2019, the Republic of Armenia took over the chairmanship of the  bodies of the Eurasian Economic Union: the Supreme Eurasian Economic  Council (SEEC), the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council and the  Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission. During the year, as  Pashinyan pointed out, Armenia made every effort to implement the  organization's integration ideas. As culmination point, according to  the prime minister, was the presence of Iranian President Hassan  Rouhani, Moldovan President Igor Dodon and Singaporean Prime Minister  Lee Hsien Loong" at a meeting of the SEEC.

As Pashinyan emphasized, the international forum "Transit Potential  of the Eurasian Continent", which started the day before, is being  held for the first time as part of the SEEC meeting. He expressed  confidence that the event will serve to strengthen trade and economic  ties.

Today, as Pashinyan pointed out, there is a need to remove a number  of barriers to free movement within the EAEU, establish a single  labor market, and mutual recognition of electronic digital  signatures. The integration processes within the Union, according to  him, will become more dynamic if citizens of the EAEU countries are  confident that the results of the work of the heads of state are  aimed at a consistent increase in the standard of living of the  country's population.

Nikol Pashinyan also considers it necessary to switch to settlements  in national currency between the EAEU countries, create a common  financial market and build a modern payment and settlement system of  the union.

At the same time, according to the Armenian Prime Minister, Armenia  attaches great importance to the development and strengthening of  foreign relations. In this context, he noted the importance of an  interim free trade agreement with Iran. He noted with satisfaction  that negotiations with Singapore on free trade were completed. Soon  it is planned to sign the corresponding agreement with Serbia, Egypt  and India.

It should be noted that, according to the official agenda, over 10  issues will be discussed at an enlarged meeting of the Supreme  Eurasian Economic Council in Yerevan. In particular, the meeting  participants will consider the issue of approving the amount of fees  paid by business entities when applying to the EAEU Court, the issue  of amending the decision of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council of  October 10, 2014, the report on the execution of the EAEU budget for  2018, and the EAEU budget.

The leaders of the EAEU member states will discuss the Union's budget  for 2020, the main directions of the EAEU's international activities  for 2020, the concept of forming the EAEU common financial market,  the issues of signing protocols on amending the EAEU Agreement of May  29, 2014, and approving the procedure for paying off the debts of  EAEU members on the payment of equity contributions to the EAEU  budget, on harmonization of the legislation of the EAEU member states  in the field of gas transportation and supply between members of the  organization, on the early termination of powers of a member of the  board of the Eurasian Economic Commission , and on the appointment of  a member of the board, on amending provision No. 1 to the regulations  of the Eurasian Economic Commission, on amending the regulation on  the Council for the EAEU Agricultural Policy. They will touch upon  the time and place of the next meeting of the Supreme Eurasian  Economic Council.  The Eurasian Economic Union is a regional  international organization for economic integration, endowed with  international legal personality and formed by the Treaty on the  Eurasian Economic Union, signed on May 29, 2014 in Astana. The EAEU  was created on the basis of the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan  and Russia and the Common Economic Space. The Agreement on the  Accession of the Republic of Armenia to the Treaty on the EAEU was  signed on October 10, 2014 and entered into force on January 2, 2015.  On December 23, 2014, an agreement was signed in Moscow on the  accession of the Kyrgyz Republic to the agreement on the EAEU  (Kyrgyzstan has been a member of the EAEU since August 12, 2015).