The Armenian prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, was in Kazakhstan on Thursday and Friday (24-25 February) for a working visit during which he participated in the sitting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council. The meeting was overshadowed by Thursday's Russian invasion of Ukraine, although the subject was not on the agenda.
The meeting was attended by prime ministers of Russia, Mikhail Mishustin, Belarus, Roman Golovchenko, Kazakhstan, Alihan Smaiylov, the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Head of the Presidential Administration of Kyrgyzstan, Akylbek Japarov, and the Chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission Board, Mikhail Myasnikovich.
According to a statement by the Armenian government, the sides discussed a number of issues relating to the development of integration mechanisms in the Eurasian space in various spheres, such as industry, information systems, e-commerce and transport.
Speaking at the conference earlier today, Pashinyan said that it was “obvious that we are in a sensitive period, in sensitive geopolitical tectonic processes, and in this context, of course, the Eurasian Economic Union is an important format in order to develop the economies of our countries”. He noted that sanctions imposed on Russia would have an effect on the economic environment in the Eurasian region, addign that discussions needed to be held to minimise the negative consequences.
Moreover, he said that while mutual trade had decreased in 2020, due to external factors such as a slowdown in the growth rate of world trade and industrial production, the trade turnover with the EEU countries for 2021 increased by 20.6%. The volume of exports from Armenia to EEU countries also increased by 25.2% in the same period.
As part of his visit, Pashinyan also met with Kazakhstan’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, on the sidelines of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council sitting to discuss Armenian-Kazakhstani bilateral relations.