Statement of Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at the side event "Regional partnerships in support of the SDGs: the сase of the EAEU and other initiatives in Eurasia"
Your Excellency Vice-Minister Ambrazevich,
Excellencies,
Under-Secretary-General Rabab Fatima,
Colleagues and friends,
Regional economic integration is widely acknowledged to be one of the most important tools which helps developing countries to diversify their commercial ties, reduce barriers to trade, benefit from the expansion of consumption markets and strengthen industrial cooperation. This makes regional economic integration a meaningful contributor to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs we are reviewing this year.
Over the past 10 years of its existence, the Eurasian Economic Union has achieved significant progress with respect to the free movement of goods, services, capital and labor. Joint initiatives are being implemented to increase labor productivity and reduce transaction costs. These efforts have had a positive impact on the development of industrial enterprises, increased employment, technical modernization.
The Union has moved forward significantly in developing unified digital space and expanding cooperation on climate agenda, in particular in the area of common standards of carbon regulation.
Colleagues,
As you may know, Russia is actively engaged in the development of other initiatives in CIS, SCO, BRICS, where we offer the best practices of Eurasian integration. “Basic” legal and infrastructural issues are addressed within the framework of the EAEU or the Union State of Russia and Belarus such as mandatory product requirements, compliance procedures, customs, tax and logistics formats - all of them can replicate their success stories in broader formats I mentioned above.
Overall, for us, regional integration is not only deep interaction in certain economic sectors but a significant tool for implementing the Agenda 2030, through strengthening partnerships, mutual financial support, and overcoming unjustified and illegal barriers to achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
Thank you.
