Belarusian PM suggests to EAEU cooperation to develop technologies, reduce dependence on imports

MINSK. Feb 25 (Interfax) - Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko has called on members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) to start cooperation to create technologies and products to ensure technological independence in a situation of sanctions.

"In the EAEU, we need to go from removing barriers to the joint creation of technologies and products," the Belarusian prime minister was quoted by the state agency BelTA as saying at a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council.

The prime ministers of the EAEU countries agree that the new stage of the Union's development envisages the implementation of new joint projects, which will create added value in all member states, he said.

"Previously, we solved issues that were more associated with ensuring free trade and the movement of capital and workforces, and now everyone agrees that we need to transition from removal of barriers to the creation of new products, especially in today's conditions. Everyone has realized that the pressure on our countries will increase," the prime minister said.

Ensuring economic independence in technologies and commodities is an effective instrument for countering sanctions, Golovchenko said. "We need to implement new joint projects, create union-specific technologies, products which reduce our dependence on imports from abroad," the prime minister said.

The Belarusian prime minister said last year was difficult, but internal trade in the EAEU had increased by more than one-third and external trade had gone up 60%. Mutual trade in the union reached $72 billion.

"I am confident that we would not have reached these indicators if it had not been for meetings and long talks at the level of the heads of states and governments," Golovchenko said.