Andrey Slepnev: the crucial question for Greater Eurasia is whether we can join our effort to pass the economic transition
On December 4, the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) and the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) held a joint panel on the topic “To Greater Eurasia by uniting nations, businesses and people” within the First Eurasian Congress. It was Andrey Slepnev, EAC trade minister who moderated the discussion and started the session with an opening statement.
“We are at a momentous historic point, at the time of great changes. This half a year we have repeatedly discussed the issues of world economic landscape which is being shaped at various venues. Mr Slepnev said. – We already can use the results of those discussions. One of the ideas I strongly support is that the pandemic is a burning issue now that yet just instigated the changes that had been looming large long ago”.
The session members were offered to discuss whether the countries are ready to face the changes and their aspects. In this format it is all-important to shift to a new technological paradigm, which affects digitalization, climate and green technologies, new energy and so on. And all this – at the backdrop of unprecedented international tensions that keep growing and creating a greater gap between countries and continents preventing them from facing the challenges together.
“At the same time we witness a stronger demand for regionalization, strengthening ties between regions across the world. It is linked to the problems in the area of globalization that clearly has seen better days. We are being divided: starting from chairs put at a distance from each other in the room, working online, cancelling forums to production patterns being shattered” – the trade minister emphasized.
The session members were to discuss what is stronger in the relations between countries on the same continent: willingness to seek cooperation or conflict. Politicians, business persons and experts from various countries and regions on the continent shared their opinions on the question whether the concept of Greater Europe could facilitate the economic transition more effectively comprising of specific projects to be put into reality.
