Eurasian Integration Outgrows Solely Trade Union Format

We observe that Eurasian integration has transcended the boundaries of a mere trade alliance. Today, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) demonstrates that it can rightfully be considered a full-fledged economic bloc.

But what lies ahead? Many are confident: the prospects of integration involve strengthening our position as one of the world’s key economic players and integrating into other global initiatives such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) or BRICS.

The potential of the Eurasian "Five" allows us to speak about this without false modesty. To illustrate, the total economic volume of the EAEU countries and regional partner associations has reached 72 trillion dollars—covering the combined value of goods and services produced across all member states. In essence, this figure represents half of the global economy.

Over ten years, the overall economy of the Eurasian "Five" has expanded by nearly 18%. Its growth driver is industrial production, which has increased by almost 30%. The food sector has also seen notable growth—by a quarter.

Belarus’s role in strengthening food security is undeniable. Our country leads the union in several product categories when considering production per capita—dairy, meat, eggs, potatoes, sugar beet, and vegetables.

Belarus is also a leader in the EAEU regarding wage growth. Real wages—adjusted for inflation—have increased by 1.7 times. The union was established to bolster national economies, facilitate market access, simplify employment procedures, and ultimately improve the quality of life for our citizens.

Economic well-being ultimately determines the success of Eurasian integration. As our President stated: all efforts are aimed at benefiting our citizens.

The Minsk Eurasian Economic Forum served as a platform for dialogue and debate about the future of the union. What shape will it take? We often discuss benefits for trade, business, and the real economy. But what does the EAEU offer to ordinary citizens?

For example, employment—one of the four key freedoms declared by the integration concept. Within the "Five," the workers are guaranteed free movement. There is even a service called "Work Without Borders." Register once—and you can seek employment or find personnel across the entire Eurasian space.

In the union, no special work permits or quotas are needed for neighboring countries; social guarantees like sick leave and health insurance (where obligatory) are in place.

"As we look to the future, we should aim for the mutual recognition and alignment of qualifications. This will create excellent conditions for workers: having a certain qualification, you will be able to work in one of the EAEU countries, and your credentials will be recognized. I believe this will be a very beneficial development, but it remains a work in progress," said Altinay Omurbekova, Director of the Department of Labor Migration and Social Protection at the EEC.

The most "people-friendly" section of the economic forum concerned pharmaceuticals. Medicines are essential to everyone! The market is heavily regulated, which is a good thing—effective and safe medications are necessary. However, prices vary significantly across the union—sometimes by factors of ten or more. The real problem arises when medicines are completely unavailable in pharmacies. We’ve experienced that firsthand—traveling to neighbors to fill prescriptions.

In the union, positions are being aligned—both in pricing and availability. While regulatory nuances are complex, the demand for such integration is clear.

"Today, Belarus has over 40 pharmaceutical manufacturing enterprises producing approximately 1,800 medications. Although substantial, this is still less than the over 5,000 drugs demanded by the market. So, our current production volume does not fully meet demand," shared Alexander Starovoitov, Deputy Minister of Health of Belarus.

"Of course, we need to focus on developing domestic pharmaceutical production, including active ingredients. Ultimately, we should move towards operational projects in these sectors—shifting from national protectionism to union-wide protectionism, considering all member states as our own producers," said Maxim Ermolovich, Minister for Competition and Antimonopoly Regulation at the EEC.

In essence, developing our own resources—scientific schools, competencies, industrial bases—is the key. No country has become technologically sovereign alone. Fortunately, we have allies and resources to produce our own products.

"As factors that ensure global competitiveness increasingly depend on digitalization, the level of digital transformation in production allows savings of up to 30% on defects, delays, and planned maintenance. These new priorities are crucial for each country, but the union platform lags behind. To make cooperative projects truly successful, we need to develop tools that attract industrial, agricultural, and service sector players from specific countries," explained Andrei Tochkin, Director of the Institute for the Development of Integration Processes at the Russian Academy of Foreign Trade.

Honestly, not everyone is fully satisfied with the quality of Eurasian cooperation today. The projects are few—President Lukashenko criticized the industrialists. For instance, the Minsk-made "Eurasian Electric Bus" remains largely symbolic. To be considered Eurasian, a product requires the involvement of three partner countries, but so far, the Belarus-Russia tandem has yet to find the third partner.

"It’s time for us to take specific measures to support the development of our own industries. We now have a good financing mechanism for cooperation, which has been launched. But we need to scale support measures to achieve broader integration effects. Our task is to demonstrate the benefits of this mechanism and to continue advancing cooperation based on already adopted decisions, because the modern geo-economic system shows that integration becomes effective precisely through such tools," argued Goar Barsegyan, Minister of Industry and Agro-Industrial Complex at the EEC.

Logistics remains a challenge—when former partners create obstacles, finding pathways to markets becomes difficult. But the hardest part is behind us. Belarus calls for further progress—proposing at the forum to abolish permit systems for freight transport within the Eurasian "Five" moving goods across member countries to third destinations.

The Eurasian forum was certainly noticed by more than 400 journalists from 12 countries. The presence of heads of state added weight, with statements from Russian leaders in major media outlets and positive comments on Belarus’s role as a host.

Chinese "Xinhua" quoted Lukashenko and emphasized the enormous importance of the Eurasian Union for stable development in the interests of its peoples. The summit was also discussed in Havana. The popular Cuban portal "Di-Bait" covered the visit of its president to Belarus and discussed prospects for Belarus-Cuba cooperation. According to Cuba’s leader, this partnership could become a model for all.

"The Eurasian Economic Forum in Minsk remains a traditional platform for aligning efforts and shaping future development vectors," noted the Kazakh portal 24kz.

This is how I, along with our guests, see the forum. It has once again shown that Minsk is a welcoming host—listening and responding if partners, like us, seek cooperation on equal terms—without dictates or conditions.