On Tuesday, June 21, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov spoke at a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council held in Minsk. The event was also attended by the heads of governments of Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Russia.

In his speech, Alikhan Smailov noted that today world trade is undergoing significant changes.

“Increasing tensions, the pandemic crisis, the disruption of global trade and logistics ties, and hyperinflation have had a negative impact on producers of goods and service providers in our countries. What is distinctive is that the shocks affected representatives of all forms of business: small, medium and large,” said the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In the current critical conditions, according to the head of the Kazakh Government, it is the role of regional associations that becomes the leading one in solving the problems that have arisen.

He noted the particular importance of simplifying and reducing the time for transporting goods from Europe and Asia to and through the territory of the EAEU countries through the development and creation of new transport arteries.

“We are in a new reality, under which it is necessary to transform the activities of the Eurasian Economic Union,” Alikhan Smailov emphasized, voicing a number of priority tasks in this direction.

In particular, according to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the EAEU region has enormous potential for business development, which is largely hindered by barriers related to the imperfection of the contractual framework and country protectionism.

“The success of the economic association depends on the actions of all its members. As you know, one barrier gives rise to another. It is necessary to unite efforts in ensuring a free market, which is a vital condition for the growth of the economy of our states and the well-being of our citizens,” the Head of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan emphasized.

Also, the current interruptions in the supply of components, raw materials and finished products have exposed the problem of an insufficient level of industrial cooperation.

“Real cooperation projects are needed in almost all industries – from engineering and high-tech to the production of food and medical products. I propose to focus on specific projects in order to create innovative and competitive products,” said Alikhan Smailov.

In addition, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan noted that one of the most sensitive issues for Kazakhstani business is to ensure unhindered transit throughout the EAEU.

In this regard, he called on his colleagues to be more flexible and constructive in the matter of providing accelerated and simplified transit, including using digital technologies.

“I am convinced that the EAEU, while maintaining the commitment of its members to the fundamental principles of the Association and in the current difficult conditions, is beneficial to all participants in the Eurasian economic integration. At the same time, it is necessary to find a balance between national interests and integration processes in order to follow the path of development on mutually beneficial conditions for all countries,” Alikhan Smailov concluded.