Russian PM Medvedev to take part in Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting

MOSCOW, August 14. /TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will take part in the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting to be held in Astana on Monday. According to the press service of the Russian Cabinet, the prime ministers of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan will discuss key tasks to expand integration cooperation within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Meeting’s agenda Priority attention will be paid to the development of sectoral cooperation, including efforts to form a unified electricity market and measures to implement a coordinated transport policy," the Cabinet’s press service stressed. "A report on the joint work to promote the Union’s ‘digital agenda’ will be submitted for consideration by the heads of government. It is planned to discuss preparation of preferential trade agreements with the Union’s international partners and other issues of mutual interest." According to a source in the Russian government’s Executive Office, the prime ministers are to make a number of decisions on implementing a coordinated transport policy regulating various aspects of forming a single electric power market and issues related to tracking the movement of goods within the Union. The Eurasian Economic Commission’s report on progress in the work on a document to implement the Union’s "digital agenda" until 2025 will be submitted for consideration by Intergovernmental Council members. In addition to that, the participants in the meeting will consider issues related to removing restrictions in the EAEU internal market. It is also planned to discuss some pressing international issues, including work to draft an interim agreement leading to the formation of a free trade zone between the Eurasian Economic Union and Iran. "Members of the Intergovernmental Council will sum up interim results of work on the draft Treaty on pensions for people in the Union’s member-countries and consider the mutual recognition of national driving licenses," the government official added. According to the source, Medvedev will hold separate meetings in Astana with the heads of government of the Union member-countries to discuss key issues of bilateral trade and economic cooperation. The Russian prime minister will also visit the EXPO-2017 exhibition. Read more