Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed gratitude to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in an expanded format, currently taking place in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

In particular, Pashinyan thanked Aliyev for the decision to unblock the transit of cargo to Armenia through the territory of Azerbaijan.

“Dear heads of the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union,

Dear guests,

I am pleased to welcome you to the session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin for his hospitality and the excellent organization of today’s session.

Let me also wish the Republic of Kazakhstan successful and productive work during its upcoming presidency.

Dear participants of the session,

This year we are summarizing the implementation of the strategic directions for the development of Eurasian economic integration until 2025, within the framework of which significant practical experience of cooperation has been accumulated.

In this context, we are currently developing guidelines for the further development of Eurasian economic integration, based on the achieved results. And at this stage, it is important to ensure a clear separation between the areas of application of supranational mechanisms and those areas where national jurisdictions and sovereign decisions retain priority, which will ensure the stability of integration processes.

This year was especially significant in terms of the international cooperation of the EAEU. Interaction with key partners - Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Mongolia, China and India - is expanding, while new markets are opening up, which contributes to the diversification of exports and imports and strengthens the positions of the EAEU in the global economy.

In this context, of course, we welcome the signing of a free trade agreement with the Republic of Indonesia.

The Republic of Armenia also attaches importance to the development of a constructive dialogue with observer states that have shown a sustained interest for cooperation with the EAEU.

Ensuring the smooth functioning of the internal market is one of the primary goals of integration. This implies the consistent elimination of barriers, the digitalization and simplification of regulatory procedures, as well as the creation of equal competitive conditions for all participants in the economic process.

I am convinced that the Commission, together with the governments of the Member States, should continue to resolve sensitive issues by developing mutually acceptable arrangements.

Let me highlight the prospects for developing cooperation in the field of transport and logistics, based on the principles of reciprocity, equality, sovereignty and national jurisdiction.

In this context, I would like to note that the positive and constructive changes taking place are creating new opportunities for all countries in the wider region, contributing to strengthening economic stability and expanding regional communications.

In this regard, I express my appreciation to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan for his decision to lift the blockade on the transit of goods through the territory of Azerbaijan to Armenia, as well as for creating conditions for the start of bilateral trade. This is one of the first significant achievements in establishing peace and stability in the region,” the Armenian premier said, in particular.