Mishustin at EAEU summit in Kazan: ‘We appreciate the brotherhood with Armenia’
The Russian premier talked with the heads of governments of all CIS countries — members of the EAEU — face to face and offered to develop cooperation links
Kazan gathered heads of governments of all five EAEU member states who arrived for the next meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council. Russia’s Premier Minister Mikhail Mishustin had a meeting in a small circle with the heads of governments of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan as well as EAEU observers — Cuba, Moldova and Uzbekistan — in the Kazan City Hall. The main topic of the dialogue is the implementation of an intergovernmental programme to produce and provide space and geo-information products as well as prospects of cooperation between the Union’s countries in space services. The programme of industrial cooperation was going to be discussed at an extended meeting on 30 April.
Mishustin talked tête-à-tête with premiers
Before the meeting in a small circle began, Russian Premier Mikhail Mishustin met with the heads of governments of four CIS countries one by one. So he met with Tajikistan’s Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda first, then with the premiers of Kyrgyzstan Ulukbek Maripov and Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov. The conversation was behind closed doors. The meeting in Kazan was accompanied by an incident on the Tajik-Kyrgyz border — both countries’ militaries joined the shooting, the sides expressed their readiness to settle the conflict with the help of talks in the Tatarstan capital.
Mishustin had a thorough conversation with acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikola Pashinyan. During the first minutes of the meeting, the Russian premier greeted the premier of Armenia’s government on behalf of President Vladimir Putin. He noted that Russia “appreciated the brotherhood with Armenia”.
“First of all, I want to deliver you warm greetings and best wishes from Russian President Vladimir Putin,” Mishustin claimed and added that the allied relations between the states are long-term and strategic.
Mikhail Mishustin lamented that due to coronavirus restrictions the foreign trade turnover between the countries reduced by 10%, to $2,3 billion.
He claimed that such a situation cannot satisfy both sides and urged his subordinates to prepare new initiatives to activate the cooperation. According to his instructions, proposals for mutual commodity exchange between the countries within the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC).
Pashinyan approves the work of peacemakers in Nagorno-Karabakh
In reply, Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikola Pashinyan expressed his gratitude for participating in the intergovernmental council and claimed he expected effective decisions to be made. In his opinion, the bilateral relations develop gradually and actively, “It is a good factor for the region’s stability”.
Pashinyan especially noted Kazan. “I am very glad about today’s meeting. To be honest, I have been in Tatarstan for the first time, we all know that it is one of Russia’s key regions,” he praised the republic in the presence of Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov.
The acting Armenian premier continued talking about the bilateral relations with Russia and singled out the positive role of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the regulation of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“I want to especially note the role Russia and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin played in the end of the war in Nagorno-Karabakh,” he thanked the head of our country at a distance. “And I want to stress that I evaluate the activity of Russian peacemakers in Nagorno-Karabakh as effective, now it is already obvious for us,” Pashinyan claimed.
The head of the Russian government noted that the decisions of the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia after the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh opened new opportunities for joint work. First of all, unblocking of all economic and transport links, creation of new infrastructure routes. “All this will create conditions for sustainable development of Transcaucasia,” Mishustin noted.
Acting Premier of Armenia Nikola Pashinyan pointed out problems in the relations with Azerbaijan. According to him, Azerbaijan hasn’t yet complied with the “crucial article of the trilateral agreement” about the return of detained people. At the same time, he thanked Russia that helps to regulate these problems.
About space projects in a small circle
After the break, the Russian prime minister opened a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council. Representatives of Cuba, Moldova, Uzbekistan and officials invited from Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, the chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission panel, participated as observers.
The implementation of intergovernmental programme Integrated System of the Eurasian Economic Union Member States to Produce and Provide Space and Geo-Information Products and Service Based on National Data Sources of Remote Sensing of the Earth and prospects of cooperation between the Union’s countries in space services became the main topic of the meeting.
“12 April is a very important day,” noted the Russian premier minister in his welcome speech. “We recently celebrated the 60th anniversary of Yury Gagarin’s flight into space, solemn events took place in the Eurasian Union’s countries. It is symbolic that today we will consider a report on creating systems to produce and space and geo-information products and service and exchange opinions about prospects of cooperation development in space research. Moreover, the agenda of our meeting contains a number of important issues that determine key areas of our work in the manufacturing industry and agriculture and many other sectors. I am convinced that the decisions that will be made at the meeting will give a new impulse to our integration of countries of the Eurasian Economic Union.”
As the press service of the Eurasian Economic Commission said, it was considered to consider the possibility of cancelling Decision No. 24 of the EEC’s panel as of 1 March 2021 on the Republic of Belarus’s obligations in retailing in the Union’s domestic market.
Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin thanked the hosts for the amazing organisation of the meeting:
“During today’s meeting in a small circle, we are going to consider a series of important issues. First of all, it is the regulation of exports in commodity markets, the protection from viruses, the regulation of the e-commerce market. We will also hear information about the implementation of the intergovernmental programme to provide space and geo-information products, sources of Earth sensing and prospects of cooperation in space projects. I am sure that the discussion will include constructive speeches. And decisions on all issues will be made. I am offering to hold this meeting in a small circle with the present members with the total freedom of speech.”
Meanwhile, head of the Eurasian Economic Commission Mikhail Myasnikovich offered to develop cooperation projects with the EAEU countries during a meeting with the Tatarstan president.
“Mikhail Myasnikovich noted the big economic and industrial potential of one of the flagships of Russian regions, close integration of science and production as well as large-scale investment projects of Tatarstan with Belarus and Kazakhstan, which are already becoming a reality or prepared to be implemented now. Mechanical engineering projects are the most important of them,” the press service of the EEC said.