Belarus And Russia Discuss Deepening Economic Integration

Reform.news Editorial Team · 12 November 2026, 22:31

https://reform.news/en/belarus-and-russia-discuss-deepening-economic-integration/

Belarus and Russia have discussed expanding the Eurasian Economic Union’s (EAEU) foreign trade with third countries, establishing new free trade zones and developing cooperation between the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and African countries. The issues were discussed at inter-ministerial consultations in Moscow on November 12.

The Belarusian delegation was headed by Andrei Prakapchuk, Director of the Foreign Economic Relations Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the Russian delegation was led by Mikael Agasandyan, Director of the First CIS Countries Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The sides discussed cooperation within the CIS, EAEU and Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), coordination of integration processes and the development of common approaches to “responding to contemporary challenges”. They also addressed deepening economic integration, improving the effectiveness of CIS sectoral bodies and expanding humanitarian cooperation within the CIS.

Representatives of the two countries also considered measures to strengthen the CIS’s international standing and develop ties in the “CIS Plus” format with “friendly countries”, international organizations and integration groupings, including in Africa.

The sides discussed opportunities to expand the EAEU’s foreign trade with third countries, including the establishment of new free trade zones and export diversification.

The participants reviewed the outcomes of meetings held the previous day in Moscow: sessions of the CSTO Collective Security Council and the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers, as well as the International Forum on Collective Security. They agreed on areas of joint work to implement the decisions adopted.

Following the meeting, representatives of Belarus and Russia identified priority tasks for inter-agency cooperation over the medium term, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry’s press service reported.