Russian President Vladimir Putin called for special attention to food security in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) due to the difficult situation in the world.
"I believe it is important to continue paying special attention to food security issues," stressed the Russian leader, speaking Friday at a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council.
He noted that "the situation in the world is not easy." "Our countries are making a very serious contribution to solving these problems, and Russia and all other members of our organization are behaving in the highest degree of responsibility," Putin added.
He pointed out that today all five countries of the Union cover completely the domestic demand for the key types of food and agricultural products by means of their own production. "Considering that the EEU is the world's largest exporter of agricultural products, the organization is taking all possible measures, including customs, tariff and non-tariff regulations, to ensure the stability of supply chains," concluded Putin.
Interest in interaction with the EEU
According to Putin, detractors are trying to put obstacles to Eurasian integration, but interest in interaction with the EEU is still growing in the world. "It is gratifying that even despite the difficult international situation, the confrontation unleashed by the so-called collective West, [despite] the fact that our detractors are trying to put all sorts of obstacles to our integration, it is still quite obvious to us all that interest in the Eurasian Economic Union is growing on the part of many foreign partners," Putin said.
Speaking about cooperation in the EEU itself, the Russian president noted that a number of urgent anti-crisis measures aimed at minimizing the consequences of sanctions, improving stability of economies, strengthening macroeconomic stability and helping entrepreneurs and citizens had been adopted. "The Eurasian Economic Commission has already approved more than 30 anti-crisis decisions and it certainly gives its effect," the Russian leader stressed.
In the sphere of customs regulation, starting from March, three packages of zero duties on more than 1.6 thousand product items of critical imports were approved, as a result, savings for importers over the next six months could reach about $ 800 million, Putin said. In addition, he continued, the requirements of technical regulations of the Union were adjusted, the threshold of duty-free imports of goods for personal use was raised to € 1000 in order to contain prices.
Steps are being taken on import substitution and deepening of industrial cooperation in strategic industries, including civil aircraft and pharmaceuticals, preparing an interstate program for the expansion of electronic infrastructure of the EEU countries, work continues on the digitalization of logistics corridors, the introduction of high-tech services for customs administration, development and improvement of the quality of e-commerce, the Russian president said.
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Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS