Eurasian Economic Union

BELGRADE - Besides being politically significant and boosting Serbia's reputation, Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Belgrade is very important economically as well and opens up new prospects for Serbia and a new chapter in its cooperation with China as well as its overall growth and development, Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali said on Thursday.

Amidst concerns over potential fuel shortages exacerbated by Ukrainian drone attacks, Russia has approached Kazakhstan with a request to stand ready to supply 100,000 tons of gasoline, as reported by three industry sources to Reuters.

They are added to the 167,925 post-calls already approved for 2023 and 2024 – Kairidis: Our country will sign bilateral agreements in the spring with India, Armenia, Moldova, Georgia, the Philippines and Vietnam

To address increased domestic demand and facilitate refinery maintenance, Russia has announced a six-month ban on gasoline exports starting from March 1, as reported by Reuters.

Russia and China have reached an agreement on the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, which will connect Siberia to northwest China, President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

"All agreements have been reached," Putin said, adding that economic cooperation between Moscow and Beijing was a "priority" for Russia.

This was said today by the Minister of Innovation and Technological Development, Nenad Popovi.
"This is a historic moment for Serbia. As a result of our excellent political relations, new perspectives have opened up for the development of our economic ties, which are of key importance for our country, economy and citizens," Popovic told the Russian Agency TASS.

Russia advocates the establishment of the Greater Eurasian Partnership with the participation of the Eurasian Economic Union, ASEAN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, "possibly other entities". This was stated by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at the summit in Bangkok of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, TASS reported.

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic on Friday signed a free trade deal with the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, EAEU, in Moscow, after the EU warned that it will closely monitor such relations, as Serbia is a candidate for joining the European Union.

Beside Brnabic, the deal was signed by the Prime Ministers of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia.

Miroslav Lajk, Slovakia's Diplomacy, reacted to the announced Serbia's signing of the free trade agreement with Eurasian Union (EAEU), supported by Russia.
"If you are sure in your European orientation, don't make decisions which are not in line with it, as this one isn't", Lajk concluded.

European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman and until recently a Rapporteur of this institution to Serbia David McAllister said for Radio Free Europe.