On 26-27 October, the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) held the ministerial online-forum on the conjunction of the Eurasian Economic Union and Belt and Road initiative attended by the China’s Ministry of Commerce, the EEC and EAEU state bodies, enterprises, and business unions high-level representatives. The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP), a member of the North-East Asia Business Association (NEA BA), contributed to the forum as a co-organizer.

Sergey Mikhnevich, director of the RSPP Center for multilateral cooperation and Eurasian integration, the B20 sherpa of Russia in 2020, took part in the session dedicated to the ecological impacts on international trade. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of international multilateral cooperation in global institutions such as G20 and its engagement groups, and in regional platforms, particularly in the Greater Tumen Initiative. He addressed the interaction of the RSPP and the CCPIT, another NEA BA member, in the B20 in 2020 under the Saudi Arabia presidency. He said that the positions of the Russian and Chinese businesses regarding many issues of the B20 program had been the same or very close.

After that, the RSPP representative highlighted the significance of regional cooperation. He gives the participants an outlook on the establishment of the NEA BA in 2019. Sergey Mikhnevich said: “The NEA BA has been established under the aegis of the Greater Tumen Initiative and is the sole multilateral business union in North-East Asia up to date. Currently, we work on the development of the requirements and joint approaches to the project activities. We will strive to facilitate our business partnership and launch first projects under the presidency of the Russian Federation in the GTI in 2021”. He also mentioned that the NEA BA welcomes other business organizations, including from non-GTI member countries. Such organizations that wish to join the NEA BA may become a member provided that the members of the Association reach a consensus on it.

Another option for foreign business organizations is to develop a partnership with the NEA BA through signing a memorandum on cooperation or any other relevant agreement. At the forum, the high-level representative of the Eurasian Economic Union Business Council (EAEU BC) has confirmed that the EAEU BC is thoroughly considering this establishing partnership with the NEA BA.

More information on the RSPP official site: http://рспп.рф/events/news/na-ministerskom-forume-eek-i-minkommertsii-knr-predstaviteli-rspp-rasskazali-o-kompleksnykh-podkhoda-5f9a5a6d25d93/