Guest
“ The development of integration and membership in the Eurasian Economic Union which has been successfully operating for a decade, is one of the key factors of sustainable growth and high adaptability of the economies of the Union member states to external shocks. All states of the Eurasian Economic Union, particularly those with small economies, have achieved significant results in many key economic and human development indicators. In Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, the growth of gross domestic product from 2015 to 2023 has reached 50.7 and 39.8 percent, respectively. Being the leading economy of the Eurasian Union, Russia has exceeded both the forecasts of respected international organizations and the real indicators of many Western economies, despite the flood of sensitive external restrictions. The fast-growing economies of Belarus which is actively resisting strong external pressures, and Kazakhstan which has become an important hub of trade flows in the Eurasian Economic Union region, also performed well. The increasing importance of integration ties is evidenced by the significant growth of domestic trade, the rate of which exceeds the dynamics of trade with third countries. Since the EAEU foundation, mutual trade between member states has doubled and in 2024 reached an equivalent to almost $100 billion. The share of mutual trade in the total turnover of foreign trade has also increased, while over 92 percent of settlements between our countries are in national currencies. The share of manufacturing and the service sector in the economic structure has increased, food security is expanding, personal income is growing substantially, and unemployment has fallen to all-time lows. The positive perception of the Eurasian Economic Union, with which people associate their hopes for a better future, prevails in all our countries, also among the younger generations. The study of the EAEU law and practice is becoming one of the demanded subjects in the curricula of the leading universities of the Union countries. The Eurasian Economic Commission together with other parties are developing a plan to implement the priorities set out in Declaration-2030/2045 ‘The Eurasian Economic Path’ which is going to be the EAEU's main current strategic planning document from next year. Matters for discussion what are the key achievements of the Integration Development Strategy 2025 and expectations from the implementation of Declaration-2030/2045; what measures could add momentum to the development of our integration; what new areas of integration cooperation could effectively complement the traditional tracks of interaction between our countries; what the ‘human dimension’ of Eurasian economic integration aimed at expanding both labour and humanitarian opportunities for the citizens of our countries within the Union, can be like; ways to achieve inclusion of integration topics in the training of experts in various fields; what are the prospects to energise the inclusion of observer states in Eurasian cooperation ties; ways to ensure further promotion of the Eurasian Economic Union brand and make it even more recognizable and attractive; what else should be done to make citizens feel the positive effects of integration deeper. “
