The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have exchanged official notifications on the completion of internal procedures necessary for the entry into force of the economic partnership agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the UAE, which was signed on June 27, 2025 in Minsk.

“In accordance with the provisions of the agreement, a period of 60 days is provided for the entry into force of the document after the exchange of notes confirming the completion of the necessary procedures. Thus, the agreement will enter into force on October 6, 2026,” said EEC trade minister Andrey Slepnev.

Today, the UAE is one of the main trading partners of the EAEU. Trade between the Eurasian “five” countries and the UAE is growing steadily: in 2025 it increased by 12% compared to 2024.

Within the framework of the new trade regime being formed by the agreement, the Emirati side has opened preferential access to 86% of the product nomenclature, or 98% of the amount of exports from the EAEU to the UAE.

The received amount of concessions will enable exporters from the EAEU member states to save at least $266 million annually on customs duties.

“We expect that after the agreement enters into force, the annual trade between our countries can increase by at least $5-6 billion,” Slepnev said.

In terms of goods, preferential access will be provided for key agricultural products of the EAEU countries, such as cereals (wheat, barley, corn), meat (cattle meat, lamb, by-product), poultry, eggs, dried vegetables (chickpeas, peas, lentils, beans), vegetable oil, dairy products, confectionery, mineral water, jams, and chocolate.

As for the industrial sector, concessions have been provided for the following categories of goods: a wide range of metallurgical industry products, petroleum products (including light and other distillates), products of the forest industry, cellulose, printed matter, chemical industry products, a wide range of mechanical equipment—from turbines to individual types of pumps.

The UAE will be able to increase supplies of a wide range of consumer products, as well as supply a number of important goods that the EAEU countries are interested in importing.

“We also expect that the regulatory norms enshrined in the agreement will enable business interaction to reach a new level, and the establishment of clear and transparent rules for regulating trade will increase the level of business interest in mutual trade,” added Andrey Slepnev.

The agreement includes a number of modern regulatory provisions that respond to the current challenges of global trade policy, including in e-commerce, economic cooperation, and the engagement of small and medium-sized enterprises in international trade.

In conclusion, Andrey Slepnev noted that the International North–South Transport Corridor passes through the UAE, this creates additional advantages for EAEU exporters to other countries in terms of gaining access to the markets of the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, and this creates opportunities for trade development, including with the South Asian region.

To note, Armenia also is a member in the Eurasian Economic Union.