Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the leaders of all member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are grateful to Kazakhstan's first president Nursultan Nazarbayev for the idea of creating the association and helping it to grow and develop.
"Always with colleagues, when we meet, almost on any issue of the development of the Eurasian Economic Union, we always remember that this idea belongs to you. And we are all very grateful to you for being the initiator of the creation of this union and its driving force for quite a number of years, until it really stood on its feet," Putin said at the meeting with Nazarbayev.
The Russian leader also praised the development of bilateral economic relations between Russia and Kazakhstan. He noted that even in the very difficult conditions of the pandemic and the decline of production around the world, the mechanisms of cooperation work effectively. "Suffice it to say that in relations with Kazakhstan, in 2020, the most difficult year of the pandemic, we did not allow a serious decline in the economy - only 4%. But for the first nine months of this year - growth of over 30%, and this is certainly a very serious result of our joint activities with the current leadership of Kazakhstan," continued Putin.
He added that Nazarbayev is always welcome in Russia and thanked him for coming.
Earlier in December, speaking at the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, the Russian president said that Nazarbayev was the initiator of the unification of the Eurasian space many years ago. Putin also noted that Ukraine also expressed the intention to join such a union, when the relevant plans were just emerging and being discussed.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS