MOSCOW, May 25. /TASS/. The leaders of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states will hold a meeting at the Kremlin on Thursday. Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that decisions would be made on further integration within the organization that brings together Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

"We will focus on ways to ensure energy and food security, as well as technological and financial self-sufficiency, boost digital transformation processes, remove regulatory and trade barriers and develop transport infrastructure," Putin said at the Eurasian Economic Forum on Wednesday, which preceded Thursday’s meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council.

The Kremlin press service said that participants in the meeting would consider efforts to achieve the goals set for Russia’s 2023 EAEU presidency. The parties will also discuss the Union’s international activities and ways to expand its trade and economic ties with third countries and other regional organizations.

Apart from the meeting, "the Russian president will also hold a series of meetings with the leaders of the EAEU member states and countries invited to the summit," the Russian presidential press service said.

First day of summit

The event marks Putin’s second meeting with his EAEU colleagues since early May as the leaders of several Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) nations visited Moscow for Victory Day celebrations two weeks ago. On Wednesday, the first day of the summit, Putin and the presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan took part in a plenary session of the Second Eurasian Economic Forum. Armenia was represented by its deputy prime minister. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Armenia’s prime minister would join other leaders on the second day of the summit.

According to Putin, Russia appreciates the interest that all of its EAEU partners show in building cooperation.

Russian presidency

The previous meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council was held in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek in December 2022. This was when Putin outlined the priorities of Russia’s EAEU precedency in 2023, which particularly include efforts to strengthen technological sovereignty, along with digitalization and investment activities, as well as youth youth exchanges. He emphasized the need for the EAEU to create a common gas market, developing unified principles of subsidiarity.

The Eurasian Economic Union is an international organization for economic integration that brings together Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Moldova, Uzbekistan and Cuba are observer countries. The Supreme Eurasian Economic Council is the EAEU’s supreme supranational body, while the Eurasian Economic Commission is a permanent supranational regulator. The Supreme Eurasian Economic Council’s meetings involve the leaders of the organization’s member states.