Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is currently on a working visit to Bishkek. On Thursday, he will take part in meetings of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council, the Council of Heads of Government of the CIS, and the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
These meetings are anticipated to conclude with the signing of several multilateral treaties.
EEU meeting
During this meeting, the prime ministers of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) will discuss strategies for advancing economic integration and exchange insights on enhancing the internal market. They will also explore financial mechanisms for joint industrial projects.
The Eurasian Economic Commission, a permanent supranational regulatory authority, will present a report on the monitoring of key areas of industrial cooperation within the EEU. Additionally, the development of a new long-term strategic document for the Union will be on the agenda.
Following the meeting, it is anticipated that the heads of government will approve regulations for mutual trade in electricity and various other agreements crucial for the establishment of unified energy markets. An agreement regarding a harmonized system for defining goods will also be signed.
Considering the forthcoming 10th anniversary of the EEU's formation, a program of celebratory events will be adopted. The Treaty establishing the EEU was signed on May 29, 2014, in Astana. The organization succeeded the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC), which operated from 2000 to 2014. As of January 1, 2015, the EEU has been operational, comprising five member states: Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
The meeting is expected to be attended by the prime ministers of observer states within the association, namely Cuba and Uzbekistan. Russia holds the chairmanship of EEU bodies in 2023.
Meeting of CIS prime ministers
During the meeting of the heads of government of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Prime Minister Mishustin will discuss with his counterparts various topics. This will encompass discussions on the plan for events marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and initiatives for the social protection of veterans. The CIS representatives are also expected to make decisions related to the intergovernmental program aimed at enhancing the quality of life for individuals involved in local conflicts and their families.
A significant focus will be placed on matters of trade and economic cooperation, as well as cultural and humanitarian interactions. The meeting will introduce the practice of organizing regular international sports competitions within the CIS, granting them the status of championships in various sporting disciplines, including Olympic, Paralympic, Deaflympic, technical, aviation, military, and service-applied sports. These competitions will be scheduled for the years between the CIS Games.
Additionally, the meeting will seek to approve an action plan for the Year of Volunteer Movement in 2024. The heads of government will endorse an interstate program of cooperation spanning from 2024 to 2026, with a primary focus on geodesy, cartography, spatial data, geoinformation technologies, remote Earth sensing, cadastral registration, and land real estate.
Other documents under consideration include the concept of digital transformation within the fuel and energy industries and a regulation on technological platforms, designed to eliminate barriers to innovation.
The Commonwealth of Independent States currently consists of 11 member countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine. However, it's important to note that Moldova and Ukraine, as noted by Russian President Vladimir Putin, have effectively been nominal participants in the association and are not actively engaged in its work.
Dialogue in the SCO
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin also plans to discuss the expansion of practical and humanitarian collaboration with his counterparts from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The outcomes of the meeting will be detailed in a joint communiqué.
Several industry-related documents are set for adoption, including a concept for a digital marketplace connecting buyers and sellers within the SCO region, an initiative to explore potential cooperation in digital trade among specialized agencies, and an action plan to implement the framework of interaction between railway administrations.
Environmental conservation is an important facet of the organization's cooperation, and it is anticipated that an action plan for hosting the SCO Year of Ecology in 2024 will be approved as a result of this meeting.
In addition to Prime Minister Mishustin, the event is expected to be attended by the heads of government from Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as the vice president of Iran and the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan. This ensures representation from all eight participating countries.
Reports on the progress achieved will be delivered by the SCO secretary-general, the director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, and the leaders of the Business Council and Interbank Association.
The meeting will also welcome the heads of government from Belarus and Mongolia, who represent observer states, as well as a guest from Turkmenistan representing the presiding party. Representatives from the executive bodies of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) have also been invited to participate.
About the visit
Mikhail Mishustin's visit to Kyrgyzstan commenced the day before, and on the first day, he engaged in a series of bilateral meetings. The head of the Russian Cabinet held discussions with several leaders, including Li Qiang, the Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Mohammad Mokhber, the First Vice President of Iran, and Luvsannamsrein Oyun-Erdene, the Prime Minister of Mongolia. These meetings focused on the expansion of cooperation across various domains.
Mishustin's previous visit to Kyrgyzstan occurred in August 2022, during which he participated in the meetings of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Cholpon-Ata. During that visit, he also conducted bilateral discussions with his counterparts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, including Nikol Pashinyan, Ali Asadov, Roman Golovchenko, Alikhan Smailov, and Akylbek Zhaparov.
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Photo: Federation Council
Based on materials from TASS