ASTANA – Leaders of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) approved new trade initiatives and adopted a joint statement on the responsible development of artificial intelligence during a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on May 29, chaired by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Leaders of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) took part at the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on May 29 in Astana. Photo credit: Akorda The meeting brought together Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdez Mesa, and Iranian Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade Seyed Mohammad Atabak.
The council approved the launch of free trade negotiations with Tunisia, describing the North African country as a strategic entry point into the fast-growing African market for the five EAEU member states. Leaders also agreed to update elements of the 2019 free trade agreement with Serbia, clarifying shipping document requirements to simplify customs clearance between the EAEU and Serbia.
Tokayev emphasized the need to expand the EAEU’s economic partnerships beyond its traditional markets “It is necessary to further expand the union’s relations with the countries of the Arab world, Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America, as well as with reputable regional economic associations.
Negotiations with India on the creation of a free trade zone are actively progressing,” he said. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev chaired the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Astana. Photo credit: Akorda The leaders reviewed the bloc’s trade policy achievements over the past five years, noting the entry into force of preferential agreements with Serbia and Iran, as well as the signing of new agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Mongolia.
The interim trade agreement between the EAEU and Mongolia is scheduled to enter into force on July 22. On the sidelines of the Eurasian Economic Forum on May 28, the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) and the Cuban government signed a five-year joint action plan aimed at expanding practical cooperation across multiple sectors.
Tokayev described the adoption of the joint statement on the responsible development of artificial intelligence as the most important confirmation of the bloc’s unity at the meeting. “I look forward to active cooperation in this area. We must focus our joint efforts on several priority areas, including strengthening the digital foundation of Eurasian integration.
As a new technological order emerges, driven by digitalization and AI, the key factors for success will be the speed of data processing, the level of automation, and the depth of innovation,” he said. Tokayev also identified the digitalization of Eurasian transport corridors as a strategic priority.
He highlighted Kazakhstan’s efforts to digitize logistics through the Smart Cargo platform, which operates on a single-window principle and supports the development of digital transport corridors across the region.