MOSCOW, February 18. /TASS/. The anti-Russian and anti-Belarusian sanctions imposed by a number of states are geared to complicate the situation in these countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.
"Joint measures are being taken in the credit and finance sphere to level and minimize the impact of the illegitimate sanctions imposed by several countries, which are geared to complicate the socio-economic situation in our countries," Putin said after talks with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko.
Touching on cooperation between Moscow and Minsk, Putin noted that the two countries are taking efforts to such areas as integration of payment systems, establishment of a common payment space, harmonization of tax and labor laws of the two countries, unification of oil, gas, petrochemicals and electricity markets.
"I would like to stress that our joint efforts toward the implementation of the economic agenda of the Union State [of Russia and Belarus] are after all geared to ensure economic growth and improve living standards," Putin said.
According to the Russian president, similar tasks are facing other large-scale integration projects, including the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), within which "a really common Eurasian market of goods, services, capital and labor force" is being formed. "It is important that all the EAEU member nations feel practical yields from these processes," he added.