Opinions & Interviews

Call for EAEU's active alignment with China’s Belt and Road initiative

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MINSK, 21 May (BelTA) – The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) needs to accelerate its alignment with China’s Belt and Road initiative, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said during an online meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on 21 May, BelTA has learned.

“Despite all the complexity of the international political situation it is necessary to continue working to position the EAEU as one of the centers of the integration contour of the great Eurasian partnership, including through the alignment with China’s Belt and Road initiative. I call to intensify work in this area. We are moving forward too slowly here. We need to identify specific projects,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

The head of state believes that at the current stage of the dialogue with Chinese partners it is advisable to focus on the development of digital transport corridors. “It is also necessary to promote the export of our products to China. With regard to food it is necessary to optimize veterinary, sanitary and phytosanitary control,” the Belarusian president said.

“You all know that China has always shown and will continue to show interest in our union. We also have a great interest in this huge market. I must say that unlike other unions and countries, China is open to us. We feel it, being much farther away from China than, let’s say, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. That is why we need to develop further our cooperation with China, especially in trade,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

Negotiation processes on free trade zone agreements should be intensified as well, the president added. This is especially true in respect to Egypt, which can become a springboard for the EAEU countries to promote their trade and economic interests in Africa.

Aleksandr Lukashenko added that the neighboring countries should be taken into account as well: "Given the interest of neighbors in our integration project, we should take a closer look at the CIS countries in terms of increasing the number of observers and prospective future members of the EAEU. We need to make concrete plans with each of the observer states to expand economic interaction.”

The Belarusian president expressed confidence that with goodwill and joint efforts the parties will fully realize the huge potential of the Eurasian Economic Union both inside and outside the union.

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