Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, positively assessed first President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev's initiative of Azerbaijan becoming an observer in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
"The initiative of Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev, who, in fact, is the ideologist of Eurasian integration, deserves attention. As you know, the EAEU is open to states sharing its goals, principles and interested in closer integration and interaction. First of all, with the CIS countries having the closest ties with the EAEU member states," she said in the first place.
The diplomat recalled the advantages that the EAEU provides to its members. "The EAEU is developing at a rapid pace, continuously developing economic cooperation, actively modernizing the transport infrastructure. It has a technical regulation system, created taking into account international experience. Despite the difficult period due to the pandemic, dynamics of most macroeconomic indicators is positive," Maria Zakharova noted.
"It seems that the development of relations between Azerbaijan and the EAEU would contribute to the intensification of mutual trade and unblocking of transport links in the region. As well as, of course, the implementation of large-scale regional and not only regional infrastructure projects," the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized.
At the same time, she recalled that Armenia could hinder the mutually beneficial granting of observer status in the EAEU to Azerbaijan. "As you know, it is necessary to take into account that the decision to increase the level of interaction between the EAEU is made with the consent of all member states and the interested party, following the results of a comprehensive expert study of the possible economic consequences of such a step," Maria Zakharova concluded.
