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YEREVAN, OCTOBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia NIkol Pashinyan talked about the issues that can improve the effectiveness of the EAEU and foster the cooperation between the member states of the Union, ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyan referred to the issues during his speech at the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting in Yerevan.
“One of them is, for example, the measures aimed at eliminating the obstacles for free movement of labor in EAEU that hinder the establishment of a single labor market”, PM Pashinyan said, adding that the integration process will become more dynamic if the citizens of the member states of the Union are confident that the organization makes decisions that directly lead to improvement of their living conditions and working conditions.
“I am confident that the consistent works in this direction will allow us to not only effectively eliminate the obstacles but will contribute to a maximally complete integration based on the principle of equality, and respect for reciprocal interests”, the Armenian PM said, emphasizing the necessity of doing business between the member states with national currencies, but not the currencies of 3rd countries, bringing the example of gas market.
Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that the issue of creating a single financial market was included in the agenda of the meeting, noting that it is a serious step.
The extended format session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council is attended by the leaders of the EAEU member states: Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov, Kazakhstan’s President Kassim Jomart-Tokayev. Chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Tigran Sargsyan also participates in the session. The session is also attended by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loongas invited heads of states, as well as by President of Moldova Igor Dodon as head of an observer state.
Armenia holds presidency at the EAEU in 2019.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong participate in the expanded format session as invited leaders of non-EEU states. President Igor Dodon of Moldova is participating by virtue of Moldova’s status of observer in the EEU.
Following the meeting a free trade agreement was signed between Singapore and the EAEU and a separate agreement between Armenia and Singapore on services, trade and investments.
Edited and translated byTigran Sirekanyan