Trade

Andrey Slepnev

News on «Trade»

25 Jul 2025 Register of third-party restrictive measures against EAEU and its Member States updated Following regular monitoring by the Eurasian Economic Commission, an updated Register of third-party restrictive measures against the Eurasian Economic Union and its Member States has been published on the Trade web portal. At present, 271 restrictive measures have been identified that may act as barriers to foreign trade on the part of the EAEU main trade partners and countries with which trade and economic agreements have been concluded or are being negotiated. Along with that, Iran's restrictive measure, which imposed a ban on importing confectionery products from third countries, was lifted after the full-fledged Free Trade Agreement between the EAEU and the Islamic Republic of Iran came into effect on May 15, 2025. In accordance with the provisions of the Agreement, the parties undertook not to establish or maintain prohibitions or restrictions on the importation of goods, including in the form of quotas, import or export licenses, and other measures. As for Serbia, a technical barrier was identified regarding access of the EAEU medicines due to the requirement to provide an EU GMP certificate for registration. The list of Uzbekistan's restrictive measures has been supplemented by a non-transparent and lengthy procedure for obtaining an Uzbek certificate of conformity for the importation of household appliances. The EEC's activities to monitor and eliminate restrictive measures in trade with third parties are carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty on the EAEU, to implement which the Decision of the Commission's Council in 2018 approved the Procedure for Interaction between the Eurasian Economic Union Member States and the Eurasian Economic Commission. The monitoring is aimed at systematic work to identify and find ways to eliminate restrictive measures imposed by third parties on the EAEU and its Member States.

21 Jul 2025 Andrey Slepnev: “The EAEU increases the railway freight volume using digital transport documents” This was stated by Andrey Slepnev, Minister in charge of Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission, on the threshold of presenting to the Heads of Government of the Eurasian Economic Union Member States an annual report on implementing the plan to digitalize rail freight transportation within the EAEU and with third countries, in particular, with the People's Republic of China. Earlier, the importance of digitizing all possible sectors of the economy was repeatedly mentioned by the leaders of the “five” countries. For example, only at the June meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council and the timed Eurasian Economic Forum in Minsk, Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, emphasized that he “considers digital transformation as a tool for removing barriers and increasing transparency in mutual trade”. In his turn, Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus, noted that “integrated Eurasian transport and logistics corridors should become smart, multimodal eco-friendly arteries with a single digital platform of administration”. “In general, digitalization and artificial intelligence are included in the list of priorities of our national policy. E-commerce, digital document flow, automated control and logistics systems have already become integral elements of the EAEU countries' economies", stated Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In this context, the EEC's activities in terms of digitizing freight rail transportation serve as a living example of relevant practical work, which results in both simplified procedures and cost savings for businesses, as well as maximum acceleration of the movement of goods. “By 2024, the EAEU Member States have ensured the transition to digital transport documents for rail transportation between the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation,” Andrey Slepnev noted. In particular, the level of electronic data exchange between JSC Russian Railways and the Belarusian Railway State Association has reached at least 90% over the past few years, and this level has exceeded 80% between Kazakhstan's JSC NC KTZh and the rail carriers of Russia and Kyrgyzstan. By the end of 2024, the transportation volume of the Russian Federation using electronic documents amounted to 90% with the Republic of Belarus and 79% with the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is also important to note the work being done on transiting to electronic shipping documents. For example, Russian Railways JSC has implemented the possibility of accepting electronic shipping documents signed with an electronic signature from a consignor/freight forwarder into its information systems and submitting them to customs authorities and transmitting them to the Belarusian Railway State Association for customs operations upon completion of the customs procedure. This technology is used between Russia and Belarus for transportation under the Intertran project. Interstate testing is currently underway to put into effect a common customs process “ensuring the exchange of electronic documents and/or information between the customs authorities of the EAEU Member States in the process of controlling the transportation of goods under the customs procedure of customs transit”. “In addition to digitizing rail freight transportation between the EAEU Member States, active work is underway with the PRC. The volume of correct electronic communications between rail carriers in Russia and China amounted to 90% by the end of 2024. The indicator of completeness and quality of data subject to electronic exchange reached 80-90% between Kazakh and Chinese railroads,” the EEC Minister in charge of Trade continued. He stressed that an important milestone of cooperation with the PRC in terms of digitizing freight transportation was the signing in December 2024 of the Agreement on interaction between certification centers of railway carriers of Russia and China for the issuance of certificates for transboundary electronic document flow. This document will ensure the use of electronic signatures between the railways of the two countries. At the end of December 2024, test paperless transportation was launched between Russian Railways JSC and China Railways SC through the Zabaikalsk-Manchuria border checkpoint in export-import traffic. In 2025, it is planned to gradually expand the geography of transportation that will be formalized by electronic consignment note. The importance of the EEC's work on digitizing transport corridors is also underscored by the words of the Presidents of the Observer Countries at the EAEU at the June summit in Minsk. Masoud Pezeshkian, President of Iran, noted the need to create “infrastructure to strengthen cooperation in digital technologies and facilitate information exchange and new types of trade”. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, dwelt separately on the country's active participation "in important EAEU initiatives, including such projects and programs as the Eurasian Agro-Express, development of e-commerce, digitalization of freight transportation and the climate agenda”.

18 Jul 2025 EAEU agreement on electronic trade in goods may be signed by late 2025 On July 17-18, face-to-face expert consultations chaired by Askat Bekov, Deputy Director of the EEC Tariff and Non-Tariff Customs Regulation Department, took place at the Eurasian Economic Commission's venue, involving public authorities and businesses of the Eurasian Economic Union countries with a view to consider the outcomes of the intrastate approbation of the EAEU draft Agreement on Electronic Trade in Goods. The participants discussed the remaining discrepancies in peculiarities of the Unionwide regulation of mutual electronic trade in goods, the principles of ensuring consumer rights and their protection, approaches to applying electronic document flow, the basics of a common glossary, and the conditions of digital goods turnover. "The Agreement is mainly aimed at establishing common transparent rights for electronic commerce in the Union's internal market. This will ensure freedom of movement of goods and related services, which in light of rapid digitalization will give a significant impetus to the growth of all our countries' economies," mentioned Askat Bekov. Owing to the results of these consultations, the EAEU Agreement on Electronic Trade in Goods may be signed by the end of 2025. The Agreement was developed as part of implementing the Action Plan for Creating Favorable Environment to Develop Electronic Commerce within the Eurasian Economic Union, approved by the Decision of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in 2021.

15 Jul 2025 Andrey Slepnev: "The EAEU countries' Prime Ministers will consider a mid-term plan for developing and implementing approaches to regulate the climate agenda" A five-year plan for developing and implementing approaches to regulate the climate agenda within the Eurasian Economic Union, approved by the Heads of Governments in 2024, will be presented to the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in mid-August. "In particular, it is proposed to develop interstate standards in carbon regulation, as well as agreed decisions on accrediting relevant validation and verification bodies," told Andrey Slepnev, Minister in charge of Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission    According to the EEC Minister, this will also entail taking measures to avoid barriers within the Union caused by the climate regulation of its Member States and engaging with third country partners on trade-related climate measures. The proposed measures, once approved by the Heads of Governments, will be included in the action plan for implementing the "Eurasian Economic Path" Declaration on Further Development of Economic Processes within the EAEU until 2030 and for the period until 2045.

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16 Feb 2023 Andrey Slepnev, "As of year-end 2022, trade turnover between the EAEU and China exceeded 200 billion dollars" текст The matters of technical regulation, application of SPS-measures, customs cooperation, interaction in competition and market protection measures were discussed by the participants in the third meeting of the joint commission on implementing The Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Union and the People's Republic of China that was held online on February 16 and chaired by Andrey Slepnev, Minister in charge of Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission, and Li Fei, Assistant Minister of Commerce of the PRC. An important outcome of the meeting was adoption of the road map on promoting trade and economic cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and the People's Republic of China, on the other hand, that includes activities in the field of digitalizing rail transport, exchange of information on strategic planning matters and joint research on the prospects of cooperation development. Special attention was paid to implementing the industry agenda. In particular, it was agreed that this year the parties would hold joint events to study prospects for cooperation in the fields of public procurement, industry and finance, as well as for veterinary and phytosanitary cooperation. "We have agreed to continue promotion of the "Eurasian Agroexpress" project aimed at expedited transportation of food products from the EAEU to China by rail," told Andrey Slepnev following the meeting. "The project has a special significance in the context of diversifying the nomenclature of goods supplied by our Union and increasing the trade turnover with the PRC that exceeded 200 billion dollars as of year-end 2022." For reference The Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Union and its Member States, on the one part, and the People's Republic of China, on the other part, was signed on May 17, 2018 and entered into force on October 25, 2019. The previous, second, meeting of the Joint Commission on implementing the Agreement chaired by Andrey Slepnev, EEC Minister in charge of Trade, and Wang Shouwen, Assistant Minister of Commerce of the PRC, was held via videoconferencing on December 21, 2021.  

14 Dec 2016 The interview of the Minister on the technical regulation of the EEC Valery Koreshkov with BELTA news agency on establishment of the common market of medicines in the Eurasian Economic Union Medicines is the first group of specific goods, with which the EAEU countries started to work closely by the beginning of the functioning of the common market. Using this experience, the EAEU will form other common markets - for finances, energy, oil and gas, and so on. The BELTA journalist discussed with the EEC Board Member - Minister in charge of technical regulation Valery Koreshkov, what stages are yet to be covered and how the common market of medicines will work.

09 Nov 2016 Minister in charge of energy and infrastructure of the Eurasian Economic Commission Adamkul Zhunusov answered questions of "RUSARMINFO" and shared his view on the level of integration of Armenia in the common energy market of the Eurasian Union How do you estimate the level of integration of Armenia in the common energy market of he EAEU? And what are the objective possibilities of development?

09 Aug 2016 Russian automobiles to have free access to ASEAN via Vietnam – EAEU minister The Eurasian Economic Union’s Minister of Trade Veronika Nikishina talks to RBTH about the Union’s s free trade agreement with Vietnam, and explains why a similar agreement with Singapore should cover services and investment, and not just reduced tariffs on goods.