On the evening of May 8, the Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng, who accompanied the President Xi Jinping to Russia, met with the Trade Minister of the Eurasian Economic Union Andrey Slepnev in Moscow, exchanging views on the important consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and the Russian President Putin on strengthening cooperation between China and the Eurasian Economic Union.
Gao said that, on the occasion of commemorating the 70th anniversary of the WWII, President Xi Jinping made an official visit to Russia, reaching wide consensus with President Putin on the joint construction of the “Silk Road” Economic Belt and the matchmaking cooperation of the Eurasian economic integration, agreeing to launch the negotiation of the agreement on the economic and trade cooperative partnership between China and the Eurasian Economic Union. This is an important strategic decision with foresight and sagacity, which would surely open a new chapter for the cooperation between China and the Eurasian Economic Union. China is an important economic and trade cooperation partner of the member countries of the Union, and the negotiation of the agreement accords with the common interests of the Union and the member countries. We would establish the system arrangement of trade facilitation according to the agreement, and build the Free Trade Zone at last. China would actively promote the negotiation process and implement the strategic consensus reached by the leaders.
Slepnev extended cordial congratulations to China on commemorating the 70th anniversary of the WWII at first, and said that China is the most important and the best grown economies in the world and the close cooperation with China must be carried out to realize the Eurasian economic integration and the integration to the Asian-Pacific economic circle. In the afternoon, the Supreme Council of the Eurasian Economic Union all agreed to sign the agreement with China through negotiation, which will boost the matchmaking cooperation of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Eurasian economic integration, will make efforts to solve the problems of trade facilitation, and will promote multi-field economic cooperation, laying a solid foundation for the construction of the Free Trade Zone with China in the future. The two sides agreed to form the work group as soon as possible and to launch the negotiation of the agreement.
After the meeting, Minister Gao Hucheng and the Trade Minister Slepnev signed the Joint Communique of the Ministry of Commerce of China and the Eurasian Economic Union on Launching the Economic and Trade Cooperative Partnership Agreement between China and the Eurasian Economic Union.
