The expert dialogue «Eurasian initiatives and new projects of transformation in the modern world» was held at the IPACS RANEPA

On May 18, 2022, the International Cooperation Department of the Institute of Public Administration and Civil Service (IPACS), RANEPA held an expert dialogue on the topic: «Eurasian initiatives and new projects of transformation in the modern world». The event took place within the framework of the international conference session «Public administration and development of Russia: global trends and national prospects».

The event was opened by the Vice-rector of RANEPA Dmitry Butashin, who noted the high relevance of the development of dialogue platforms in the Eurasian direction. The discussion was moderated by Karolina Skrinskaya, Head of the International Cooperation Department IPACS RANEPA, and Alexander Agababov, Deputy Head of the Orel Region Representative Office under the Government of the Russian Federation.

The main issues on the agenda were the prospects for the development of the Eurasian Economic Union, cooperation of the EAEU states in modern realities, the introduction of innovative developments and projects into the mechanisms of the EAEU.

The dialogue was attended by representatives of the Government of the Russian Federation, the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, the Eurasian Economic Commission of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Belarus, the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in the Russian Federation, representatives of business and the expert academic community.

During the event, was read out the greeting of the Russian Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov «Emphasis on internal technological development, strengthening of own production, close cooperation with partners in the EAEU will allow our economy not only to cope with the consequences of unprecedented sanctions pressure, but also help it to reach a completely different qualitative level. Using the example of the union cooperation between Russia and Belarus, we can see the effectiveness of such steps – once-existing business chains are being restored, joint ventures are being launched, and a replacement for goods that have fallen under sanctions is being successfully sought».

Yulia Trefilova, Deputy Director of the Eurasian Integration Department of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, considered the issue of sustainability of the economies of the EAEU member states. The expert spoke about the efforts taken to ensure sustainable development, revealed the problems of the economic sphere in the context of Eurasian cooperation and shared her opinion on the prospects for strengthening relations in the economic context.

Deputy Director of the Industrial Policy Department of the Eurasian Economic Commission Zhaslan Azenov spoke about the main directions of industrial cooperation and strategic vectors for the development of industrial integration in the EAEU, noting the importance of mutual exchange of experience between the member countries of the Eurasian Economic Union.

The representative of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation noted the importance of transport and logistics processes in the Eurasian space and interaction with the EAEU member states on a number of issues related to new extremely effective measures to restore broken transport and logistics chains.

Speaking about the formation of the EAEU as one of the most significant development centers of the modern world, Deputy Director of the Integration Development Department of the Eurasian Economic Commission Elena Danilova noted problem areas that require immediate study. The expert focused on the strengthening of the impact of global challenges on the economies of states and the application of the accumulated experience of integration cooperation of the EAEU member states. The key factor in the development of nuclear power plants, according to Elena Danilova, at the moment is the formation of mechanisms for the implementation of current agreements using qualitatively new approaches to the development of integration processes.

President of the Foundation for Support of International and Humanitarian Programs «Strategy» Metso Igityan gave an expert assessment of the Eurasian vector in the context of the current geopolitical situation and spoke about geoeconomic trends that can open up new prospects for the EAEU countries.

Stanislav Naumov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, raised the topical issue of the effectiveness of project initiatives within the EAEU, which caused a lively discussion.

Alexey Grom, Chairman of the Management Board of JSC United Transport and Logistics Company – Eurasian Railway Alliance, spoke about the introduction of digital technologies into the EAEU transport and logistics system and other innovative projects in this area. The speaker devoted special attention to the project that combined the infrastructure capabilities, technologies and competencies of three railway companies: «Russian railways», «Kazakhstan temir zholy» and «Belarusian railways».

Speaking about digital technologies in the EAEU countries, Andrey Fillipov, Acting Director of the EEF and International Cooperation Digital Economy, stressed the importance of creating mechanisms for their accelerated implementation. The speaker spoke about the ANO programs implemented in partnership with the leading companies of digital transformation – «Everything is Online», «Go to IT» and «Women in IT».

Director of the Agent Unit of the Government of the Russian Federation, State Development Corporation VEB.RF Vadim Tarkin noted the priority areas for the development of cross-border infrastructure projects. The speaker highlighted the evaluation of their quality according to the IRIIS system: «The system of evaluation and certification of infrastructure projects meets the best international approaches and practices in this area. It provides for a comprehensive assessment of the project in the context of economic, social and environmental aspects».

The final report was presented by Rinat Galyautdinov, Deputy Head of the Business, Services and Investment Department of the Business Development Department of the Eurasian Economic Commission, who gave an expert assessment of the formation of a single market of services within the EAEU.

At the end of the discussion, the participants confirmed their mutual interest in further deepening ties, noting that at present the Eurasian vector is becoming a key factor in the development of the economic space with the partner countries of the Russian Federation in the post-Soviet space. For Russia and other members of the association, deepening integration will open up new opportunities for interaction and growth of economic indicators not only of individual states, but also of the Eurasian region as a whole.