MOSCOW, November 28. /TASS/. The priority tasks of Russia's chairmanship in the CIS next year will be digitalization and increasing the share of payments in national currencies, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin said at the plenary session of the 11th Eurasian Economic Perspective International Forum.

"Reorientation of transport and logistics routes, ensuring energy and food stability, creating a favorable business climate, stimulating digitalization, increasing the share of payments in national currencies - all these issues are among the priorities of the Russian chairmanship in the bodies of the EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union - TASS) this year," he said.

"Their development will also be given the closest attention as part of our country’s chairmanship in the CIS next year," he added.

Pankin noted that at the end of 2022, trade of the EAEU with external partners increased by 60%, while the volume of trade turnover with the SCO countries (Shanghai Cooperation Organization - TASS) increased by more than 40%.

"Among positive indicators are also the volumes of trade with partners in the CIS - Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan. Mutual trade turnover of the EAEU member states in 2022 added 14.6% and reached a record $85 billion, and in the first half of 2023 the growth was even more 13%," the Deputy Foreign Minister noted.

About forum

The Eurasian Economic Perspective Forum is taking place in St. Petersburg on November 28-29. The topic of the forum this year is "Sustainability, adaptivity and self-identification of the economic space of Greater Eurasia in the context of global transformation." The event is organized by the St. Petersburg State University of Economics jointly with the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg and the Eurasian Association of Universities.