Russian President Vladimir Putin noted Thursday at a meeting of Eurasian Union leaders that Armenia is the main beneficiary in the union, as it has recorded the highest levels of economic growth.
“Cooperation within the framework of the Eurasian Union is progressing successfully and Armenia is the main (biggest) beneficiary,” Putin said at the meeting, which brought together the leaders of Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
The Russian president indicated that it would be difficult for the Eurasian Economic Union countries to keep pace with Armenia, whose GDP growth exceeded 12%. He stressed that the union countries will strive to achieve a high level of development within the union.
This was confirmed by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who said that his country recorded economic growth of 12.6% last year, and this year it is expected at 12.1%.
Putin also stressed that Russia highly values the close partnership with all members of the Eurasian Union, which is based on the principles of mutual benefit, respect and consideration of the interests of states.
He added that the meeting of the Union will be held first in a narrow format that includes the leaders of the member states (Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan), and then in the format of an expanded meeting, in which the presidents of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan will participate through video, as well as the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev personally, who was invited for the first time. A first for such an event.
The leaders of the Eurasian Union will discuss cooperation between the countries of the Union in the sectors of energy, food security, technological independence, acceleration of digital transformation, removal of regulatory and trade barriers, and infrastructure development.
Today in Moscow, the leaders of the Eurasian Union will hold a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council with the participation of the leaders of the Union, which includes Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
This article was originally published by RT.
