On December 11, a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Council was held in the videoconference mode with the participation of the heads of state of the CU, the Honorary Chairman of the EAEU, the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, the President of the Republic of Moldova Igor Dodon, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the President of the Republic of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, the Chairman of the Board EEC Mikhail Myasnikovich.

The heads of state of the EEU approved the Strategic Directions for the Development of Eurasian Economic Integration until 2025.

The implementation of the strategy will ensure the advanced development of the economies of the member states through the growth of investment and innovation activity, the formation of flexible mechanisms to promote growth and employment.

The document defines the mechanisms of cooperation in such new, not provided for by the Treaty on the EAEU, spheres such as education and science, tourism, sports and healthcare.

The Commission was instructed, together with the parties, to work out the issue of pricing and tariff setting for gas transportation services in the EAEU common gas market within the framework of the International Treaty on the formation of the EAEU common gas market, which should be developed in 2021. The results of the work will be reported at the next meeting of the SEEC.

The Supreme Council approved the granting of observer state status to the EAEU to Uzbekistan and Cuba. The status implies that representatives of an observer state can attend, upon invitation, meetings of the EAEU bodies without the right to participate in decision-making and receive documents adopted by the EAEU bodies.

The EAEU Heads of State approved the Main Directions of the EAEU International Activity for 2021. The document reflects the key vectors and practical priorities of the EAEU’s international activities for the next year, identifies the already established mechanisms of cooperation with third countries, regional integration associations and international organizations with which it is planned to deepen cooperation in 2021, as well as potentially promising areas of international cooperation.

The Supreme Council has determined strategic guidelines in the field of the Union’s foreign trade policy for the medium term.

The heads of the EAEU countries approved the start of negotiations on a free trade agreement with Iran – in development of the Interim Agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran. This will further strengthen mutually beneficial economic cooperation, deepen trade ties, expand the range of products supplied to the EAEU countries and Iran.

The heads of state of the EAEU discussed approaches to improving the mechanisms for the application of special protective, anti-dumping and countervailing measures in the EAEU.

The heads of state of the EAEU decided to ensure the completion of the activities of the first stage of the formation of the common gas market of the EAEU and move on to the second stage, and also approved a “roadmap” for harmonizing the legislation of the EAEU countries in the oil sector.

The Supreme Eurasian Economic Council has endowed the EEC Council with the authority to approve the Rules for determining the country of origin of certain goods for public procurement purposes. The corresponding decision regarding amendments to the EEC Regulations was made at the SEEC meeting. The rules are expected to ensure equal access to public procurement in the Eurasian Economic Union for suppliers from all EAEU countries.

The heads of state of the EAEU approved amendments to some decisions of the SEEC in terms of the weather forecast services sector, in the list of sectors (subsectors) of services in which a single market for services within the EAEU operates in terms of the property valuation services sector. The SEEC members instructed the governments of the EAEU countries to accelerate the liberalization of services.

The heads of state of the EAEU will sign a number of documents. In particular, the Agreement on the exchange of information in the field of combating the legalization (laundering) of proceeds from crime and the financing of terrorism in the movement of cash and (or) monetary instruments across the customs border of the EAEU, the Agreement on the issues of free (special, special) economic zones on the customs territory of the customs union and the customs procedure of the free customs zone dated June 18, 2010 and a number of others.

The Supreme Eurasian Economic Council approved the judge of the EAEU Court Erna Ayriyan as the Chairman of the EAEU Court, and Konstantin Chaika as the Deputy Chairman of the EAEU Court – Judge of the EAEU Court. The decision comes into force on January 1, 2021.

In accordance with the decision of the SEEC, from January 1, 2021, during the year, the Republic of Kazakhstan will chair the EAEU bodies – the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council and the EEC Council. According to the Treaty on the EAEU, the presidency of these bodies is an annual scheduled rotation in the order of the Russian alphabet. In the outgoing 2020, all structures were chaired by the Republic of Belarus and its representatives. In the meantime, there is no need to worry about it.

The next meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council will be held in May 2021 in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Source: TKS