Natalia Petkevich explained Lukashenko's proposals at the EAEU summit

The discussion on the sidelines of the Eurasian summit on sensitive issues of the common economy and the global situation was intense and quite complex. Deputy Prime Minister Natalia Petkevich, who represents Belarus on the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission, spoke about this in an exclusive interview.

The meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council took an unexpectedly heated turn. The Belarusian leader set the tone, raising global issues that had not previously been publicly discussed in this format. The discussion focused on mechanisms for the accession of new observer countries and, most importantly, the critical need to fine-tune the treaty framework to avoid situations similar to the Armenian one.

At first glance, the meeting was planned to be calm. But the discussion took an unexpected turn. "The head of state, quite unexpectedly for many, raised the issue of the EAEU's international activity, granting observer status, and the accession of new countries. He said this issue requires close scrutiny. Joining the Eurasian Union will be complex. We must clearly assess the consequences for the Union and our partners. Any accession must yield results and be effective, not just status for status' sake," said Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Natalya Petkevich.

"Looking at the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union today, we understand that many mechanisms are missing. The situation with Armenia and Moldova shows that we need new levers for the Union's full functioning. The head of state has emphasized these issues," the Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus emphasized.

According to her, this position was supported by Alexander Lukashenko's colleagues. Behind the scenes, everyone acknowledged that the problems had been brewing for a long time, and raising the topic of discussing them was timely.

Despite the difficult discussions, the work is ongoing. The strategy for the previous five-year plan is practically complete. "Those instructions and activities that have not yet been implemented have been postponed," said Natalia Petkevich.

The results of the Eurasian Development Bank's 20th anniversary were summarized. "Certain problems and imbalances emerged. The Bank is a commercial organization, but it was created within the framework of an integration structure. It cannot be purely commercial. Alexander Grigoryevich spoke about this at length," noted the Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus.

In terms of practical implementation, the main topic was completing the legal framework for industrial and agro-industrial cooperation. "The idea existed, but the mechanisms were not laid out. The heads of state signed the remaining documents. As a result, we are receiving an instrument with a new monetary value, with new, somewhat de-bureaucratized rules, in a broader format, in particular, extended to the agro-industrial complex, which can now be applied," Natalia Petkevich concluded.