OREANDA-NEWS. January 23, 2015. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has sent an address to the heads of state of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) member states.

The address reads that the Republic of Belarus assumed chairmanship in the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council and the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission on 1 January 2015.

Our country views the Eurasian Economic Union as a crucial integration project promoting economic and social stability in the region.

During its chairmanship Belarus will strive to strengthen good neighborliness, expand economic cooperation, and promote the four fundamental economic freedoms of the Union: the freedom of the movement of goods, services, capital, and workforce.

At all the stages of the work on the Eurasian Economic Union Treaty Belarus consistently urged to liberalize the economic activities within the EEU as much as possible. We still believe that the complete abolition of exemptions and restrictions related to the movement of goods should be at the core of the Eurasian Economic Union.

We put forward the following proposals:

prompt transition to a coordinated and later a single industrial and agricultural policy;

development of the major guidelines of industrial cooperation within the Union;

unconditional launch of the single markets of medicines and healthcare products on 1 January 2016;

implementation of the joint export promotion activities stipulated by the Treaty.

We urge to elaborate the concept of the establishment of the common markets of electric energy, gas, oil and oil products.

Practical steps will be undertaken to advance integration in the service sector during Belarus’ chairmanship.

Top on the agenda is the customs tariff and non-tariff protection in the single customs space. Belarus expects openness and transparency from its partners in the matters related to the WTO talks.

We suggest working out efficient mechanisms to maintain the operation of the Eurasian Economic Union if one of the member states imposes unilateral market protection measures against third countries. Much attention should be paid to the coordination of cooperation in the areas related to food safety and protection of consumer rights.

I hope that Belarus’ initiatives will be upheld by the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union.

I am convinced that our close collaboration will help us materialize our plans and turn the Eurasian Economic Union into an independent center of sustainable economic growth.