Armenia is interested in reaching early consensus on project to form common EAEU gas market

ArmInfo.RA  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took part in the extended-format session of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Almaty, the press service of  the RA Premier reports.

The event was attended by the Heads of Government of EAEU countries,  as well as the prime minister of Uzbekistan and the diplomatic  representative of Cuba in the Union.  

At the session, Prime Minister Pashinyan made a speech, in which he  specifically noted:  "Dear Heads of Government, Dear members of  delegations, I am pleased to welcome the participants and guests of  this year's first session of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council.   Let me start my speech with words of gratitude to Alikhan Smailov for  the invitation and for organizing today's meeting at a high level.   Taking this opportunity, I want to wish the presiding party and  personally to Mikhail Mishustin fruitful work and success in the  implementation of the priority directions outlined by the Russian  presidency.  I sincerely welcome the Prime Minister of the Republic  of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov and the honorable representative of  Cuba, confirm my readiness to develop effective cooperation with the  observer states.  Before moving on to the issues of today's agenda, I  would like to note that despite the geopolitical tension, mutual  trade in the Union continues to demonstrate positive dynamics. 

The trade turnover between Armenia and the EAEU states in  January-November 2022 increased by more than 90% compared to the same  period of 2021 and amounted to 4.6 billion US dollars. At the same  time, import by country of origin of goods increased by more than  50%.  Dear colleagues, For the further development of the Union, we  need to continue systematic and consistent work based on a solid  foundation of internal capacities and resources aimed at ensuring  economic development, increasing the competitiveness of national  economies and the well-being of our citizens.  To achieve these  goals, it is important to create favorable conditions for business,  to work on eliminating barriers, to increase cooperation in the field  of entrepreneurship.  Of course, measures aimed at supporting  producers at all stages of production still have a decisive role.  

In this context, I would like to note the importance of speedy  development and adoption of legal acts aimed at introducing  mechanisms for financial support of industrial cooperative projects  with integration potential.  The development of this direction,  according to our estimates, will allow industrialists to concentrate  their efforts on their own production in such branches of economy as  mechanical engineering, radio electronics, aircraft construction,  software production, pharmaceutical and medical industry.  The  formation of the competitive industry of the Union is completely  determined by the level of technological independence and the  dynamics of the introduction of new technologies. These are the  undisputed priorities of the EAEU in the near and medium term.   Strengthening the technological independence of EAEU member states is  directly dependent on the transition to a new technological system  and cannot be implemented all at once. It requires defining strategy,  stages, expenditures that depend on the level of technological  development of EAEU industries and, as a result, the transition will  require the modernization of existing productions, as well as the  creation of new innovative sectors of industry.  It is quite obvious  that for these purposes, a technological forecasting system should be  established in the Union for the timely identification of the most  promising trends in the field of technological development.  At the  same time, an important element of interaction can be the creation of  a data bank of the best available technologies.  

Dear colleagues, I want to note that we also attach great importance  to the development of local and pan-EAEU systems of food safety.  We  believe that the activation of cooperation on the creation of a  system of collective food security of the EAEU member states will in  the future allow to increase the efficiency of the use of available  resources, restrain inflation, ensure the availability of food and  activate mutual trade.    I consider the formation of common markets of energy resources to be  another important component of the integration cooperation of the  EAEU.  In this context, I would like to underline our interest in  reaching consensus as soon as possible on the unregulated issues of  the draft international treaty on the formation of a common gas  market and once again confirm our readiness for a constructive  approach for their solution?  Within the framework of the issues of  the EAEU common electric power market, I consider the flexible and  multi-vector approaches laid down in the basis of the "Rules for  Access to Interstate Electricity Transmission Services" to be  relevant for Armenia.  In particular, the Rules will make it possible  to ensure connection to the energy systems of the EAEU member states  through a country that is not a member state of the Union (in our  case, through Georgia), thereby creating technical and legal  prerequisites for concluding mutually beneficial market contracts.    Dear meeting participants, In order to fully launch the integrated  information system of the Union, we need to synchronize our actions  in this direction, which will allow us to form a reliable "digital  framework" to ensure the freedom of movement of goods, services,  capital and labor.  The development of the digital economy and the  introduction of digital technologies is an objective necessity for  the formation of a single digital space. In this context, I would  like to note the relevance and high demand for the tools of the  interstate information exchange system, the creation and development  of digital projects with an integration effect.  And irrespective of  the achievements, we need to constantly review and expand the  priorities of the digital agenda. In this context, I would like to  note that the Almaty Digital Forum has become one of the effective  platforms for a comprehensive dialogue with interested participants  to discuss issues of digital transformation and prospects for digital  development.  

Dear colleagues, In conclusion, I would like to wish us all success  and fruitful work and once again confirm the readiness of the  Armenian side to make efforts in implementing the priority directions  of Eurasian integration.  

Thank you for attention".  The Prime Ministers of the Eurasian  Economic Union countries discussed a number of topical issues related  to Eurasian integration. In particular, reference was made to the  operation of the EAEU internal market, the financing of industrial  cooperative, the development of the agro-industrial complex, and  cooperation in the energy sector.  

The implementation of the digital agenda, in particular, the  improvement of the integration information system of the Union, was  highlighted.  Minutes of decisions taken at the session were also  signed. The next session of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council  will take place in June in Sochi.  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's  wife, Anna Hakobyan, visited the Museum of Folk Instruments of  Kazakhstan and the State Art Museum in Almaty, toured the exhibition  halls and got acquainted with the presented samples.  PM Pashinyan's  working visit to Almaty is over.