Dear Colleagues!

Starting January 1, 2026, the Republic of Kazakhstan will chair the Eurasian Economic Union’s governing bodies.
The outgoing year marked the anniversary of the Eurasian Economic Union. We have taken a confident leap into the second decade of our integration association development. Despite the global turmoil of the past few years, our countries demonstrate positive economic trends.
Our common objective for the coming period is to enhance the efficiency of integration and strengthen the EAEU potential and relevance.
In 2026, we will start implementing the Eurasian Economic Path Declaration on Further Development of Economic Processes within the Eurasian Economic Union until 2030 and for the Period up to 2045. Priority will be placed on the goals and objectives outlined in this strategic document.
In the year of its chairmanship in the Eurasian Economic Union's governing bodies, the Republic of Kazakhstan proposes to focus on the following key directions.


1. Artificial intelligence as a new tool for developing economic integration.
The world has entered a new historical era which offers unprecedented opportunities but also poses new challenges, including widening technological inequality.
According to the analysts' estimates, global investment in advances in artificial intelligence has exceeded one trillion dollars in recent years, and AI contribution to the global economy could reach over ten trillion dollars in the coming decades.
Our objective is to harness new technologies for the benefit of our peoples and turn them into a key factor in the Eurasian economic integration.
Even now, artificial intelligence technologies successfully solve issues related to forecasting trade flows and accurately assess the impact of customs duties and trade agreements on the States' economic development.
The Republic of Kazakhstan has set itself a strategic goal of becoming a full-fledged digital country. The public initiatives – the Alem.ai Center in Astana and the CryptoCity pilot zone in Alatau – show our readiness to invest heavily in the digital ecosystem.
Kazakhstan is open to sharing knowledge and experience with its EAEU partners in the artificial intelligence, digital regulation, and economic transformation. By joining our efforts, we will be able to adapt more efficiently to new technological realities.
We propose signing a Joint Statement on the Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence within the EAEU on the sidelines of the Eurasian Economic Forum to be held in 2026 in Astana.
This document is intended to set a new vector of cooperation in the digital transformation of our economies.

2. Eurasia's logistics hub: from potential to leadership.
The Eurasian Economic Union is a geopolitical bridge between the East and the West, the North and the South. Key transit routes run through the territories of our countries. For this reason, we should adhere to our common goal of becoming the leading logistics hub on the continent.
To this end, urgent measures should be taken to improve transport, logistics, and customs infrastructure, develop international transport corridors and multimodal transportation, and ensure close interaction between major logistics companies of the EAEU and third countries.
The introduction of intelligent systems and the use of big data will enable creating seamless logistics. Cargoes should be transported across the EAEU Member States as quickly as possible, without unnecessary delays and bureaucratic red tape.
Kazakhstan works actively in this direction. The Smart Cargo pilot project has been launched. Documentation is being converted into electronic format. The platform is open for integration with the systems of our partners in the EAEU countries.
We propose creating the EAEU-wide integrated cargo flow management system based on artificial intelligence.
This platform will help reduce delivery times and financial costs, and improve the competitiveness of the Eurasian corridors. We propose the EAEU Member States to join efforts for shaping a unified transport framework integrated into the global supply chains.

3. Technological leap: digitalization of industry and agricultural sector.
The manufacturing industry and agricultural sector are the economic foundation of the EAEU participating countries.
Our common objective is to extend and deepen cooperation for producing globally competitive goods.
The EAEU has already established mechanisms for financing cooperative projects in both manufacturing industry and agricultural sector. Primarily, we should fund breakthrough innovative projects.
It is important that every enterprise and farm be interested in using digital solutions and artificial intelligence. For this purpose, we should create demonstration centers and develop automation startups and competence centers.
The Eurasian Economic Commission should give active support to breakthrough endeavors.

4. Barrier-free trade as an unconditional principle of the EAEU activities.
The practice of creating administrative barriers must be eradicated.
It is important that all artificial restrictions blocking trade and development of individual industries, bans on the movement of citizens, and queues of freight transport at borders become a thing of the past.
Customs regulations and other measures of state control (transport, sanitary, veterinary, and phytosanitary) should not be used as a tool to exert pressure on the governments of the EAEU Member States.
The EAEU has adopted a large number of documents envisaging the creation of a barrier-free environment. It is important to strictly comply with the commitments made and to prevent violations. This is the Eurasian Economic Commission's task.
In order to identify potential barriers in a timely manner, we propose to incorporate artificial intelligence technologies into the monitoring of the Member States' legislative initiatives.

5. New geography of trade: global dialogue.
The EAEU must continue to actively enhance economic cooperation with foreign partners.
In 2025, Free Trade Area Agreements were signed with Mongolia and Indonesia, as well as an Economic Partnership Agreement was signed with the UAE. This is a substantial result of the joint efforts made by the Member States and the Commission.
In the long run, it is reasonable to expand the EAEU relations with countries of the Global South, the Arab world, Southeast Asia, and Africa, as well as with powerful regional associations.

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The economic integration is an important tool intended to ensure tangible results of interaction within the EAEU: creating new industries and modern workplaces, implementing advanced technologies, and shaping a free trade environment.
During its chairmanship, the Republic of Kazakhstan will strive to contribute to the fullest extent possible to accomplishing the objectives included in the above agenda.
I am confident that only through joint efforts can we achieve the goals set, while ensuring the intense development of the EAEU Member States' economies and strengthening the overall potential of our integration association.


Kassym-Jomart Tokayev