PM Aripov proposes wider EAEU cooperation at Minsk meeting
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PM Aripov calls for broader EAEU cooperation at Minsk meeting
Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, speaking today at the expanded session of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Minsk, presented a range of proposals aimed at deepening cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
He urged the development of digital trade and called for Uzbekistan to be included in the EAEU’s common customs transit system. To boost industrial cooperation, he suggested establishing a dedicated project office in Uzbekistan.
Aripov also said labor migration should be simplified and proposed connecting the electronic employment services of member states. According to him, this would make the migration process more transparent and convenient.
The prime minister also discussed the implementation of “green” projects in energy-intensive industries, saying they should be backed by green financing, concessional loans and public-private partnerships.
On tourism, he announced an initiative to create a Central Asia Tourism Ring, within which joint travel routes and tour packages would be developed and promoted together.
Trade with EAEU countries exceeds $20 billion
Aripov said Uzbekistan’s economic ties with EAEU countries are expanding. Trade with union members surpassed $20 billion at the end of 2025, he noted.
According to the prime minister, that figure increased by another 16% in the first eight months of 2026.
Uzbekistan is not a member of the EAEU but has observer status, and Aripov took part in the Minsk meeting as a representative of an observer state.
Belarusian Prime Minister Alexander Turchin, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Kyrgyz Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliev also spoke at the meeting. The participants discussed economic integration and cooperation in energy, logistics and agriculture.