By Sareen Habeshian
On December 6, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Armenia will assume the presidency of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in 2019. The announcement was made at session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in St. Petersburg, attended by Armenia’s acting Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan.
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Each year, the chairman of the EAEU elects one of the member nations to head it the following year. Russia holds the chairmanship until December 31, 2018.
During his speech, Putin wished Armenia success, “in a complicated and important task.”
Following the announcement, Pashinyan gave a speech, emphasizing that membership in the EAEU is one of his priorities.
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“Trade-economic cooperation with EAEU countries is one of the most important and positive factors that affects the country’s economic growth and foreign trade potential,” Pashinyan said.
“In this context, I would like to note that Armenia welcomes the Declaration on Further Deepening of Integration Processes and supports the provisions of the document that define the philosophy of our cooperation and the main directions of its development,” Pashinyan noted.
Pashinyan also spoke about the growth in commodity trade between the EAEU countries, gave Armenia’s full support for the union’s digital policy, and spoke about the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections.
The meeting served to sum up the work of the EAEU under the presidency of Russia during the last year. Member nations also spoke about the further expansion of the union’s integration, such as trade, energy and digital economics.
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov also participated in the meeting.
Armenia joined the Russia-led EAEU in 2015 following former President Serzh Sargsyan’s abrupt and unpopular decision to turn away from a free-trade deal with the European Union.
The other members of EAEU are Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Armenia is the only country that has no land border with the rest of the member countries.