An agreement on free trade zone (FTZ) between the EEU and Iran may be signed in the first half of 2023, preparations for the signing of an FTZ with Egypt are also in the final stages, Head of the EEU Board Mikhail Myasnikovich said in an interview with TASS.
"We are ready to sign a full-fledged agreement. We have a provisional agreement, which also gives positive results. <...> I would like the agreement to be signed in the first half of 2023 so that we could start the ratification procedures immediately," said Myasnikovich.
"We are working in a similar way with Egypt. According to the results of five rounds of negotiations, we are at a crucial stage," he added.
According to Myasnikovich, the Union has high hopes for a FTZ with India, but so far the negotiations are at the initial stage. "We have high hopes for the agreement on an FTZ with India. So far there is nothing to boast about. There is, I would say, "rough" working out of the corresponding contacts and projects since the parties should see, first of all, the mutual benefits," said the head of the board of the Eurasian Economic Commission.
Myasnikovich pointed out that he had met with the foreign minister of India twice and had seen his full understanding and interest. This topic was also on the agenda of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Therefore, we believe that in 2023, certain provisions of our dialogue may well be fleshed out, which will allow us to move forward in the negotiation process with India. This country is a huge, growing market. Undoubtedly, we need to do everything possible to help Indian business feel comfortable in the Eurasian space, which will also help our companies to work successfully in the Indian market," he concluded.
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Based on materials from TASS