on April 11, 2025, under the leadership of Dmitry Antonov, Chairman of the Food Market Committee of the Business Council of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Member of the Board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP), the second meeting of the Food Market Committee of the EAEU Business Council was held jointly with the RSPP Commission on the Agro-Industrial Complex (AIC) and Food Security. Representatives of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation (CCI RF) and the business community also took part in the meeting. The main topic was the discussion of the development of Eurasian mechanisms for supporting cooperation in the agro-industrial complex.
Opening the meeting, Dmitry Antonov outlined the key milestones in the development of the industrial cooperation support project and voiced proposals for fine-tuning the mechanism to the specifics of the agricultural sector. The Committee Chairman proposed to increase the maximum project implementation period to 10 years, increase the financing limit, and also consider the possibility of participation in projects of countries included in the list of observers and countries with which free trade agreements have already been concluded or are planned to be concluded. “We can use cooperative ties within the EAEU to create export cooperative chains, using countries that have joined the free trade zone. In particular, as you know, Iran recently joined the FTA. Today we are working on the possibility of expanding this list,” he noted. “It seems to me that these countries can serve as conductors of our international cooperative ties.”
Vice-President for Financial Policy and Development of Economic Sectors of the RSPP Alexander Murychev. In his speech, he noted that within the framework of implementing the cooperation support mechanism, it is important to search for companies within the EAEU space that have the desire and capabilities to implement joint projects, combining production capacities in the Union's countries.
Director of the Department of Agro-Industrial Policy of the EEC Naira Karapetyan spoke about the tools for supporting industrial cooperation in the EAEU and the possibilities of expanding them to the agro-industrial complex, taking into account the specifics of the Union's agricultural sector. Following her report, Deputy Director of the Department of Industrial Policy of the EEC Georgy Arzumanyan touched upon the financial side of ensuring the industrial cooperation support mechanism and the work of the EEC as the administrator of this activity.
Executive Secretary, Member of the Presidium of the EAEU Business Council, Managing Director for International Multilateral Cooperation and Integration of the RSPP Sergey Mikhnevich identified achieving an effective division of labor within the Union as one of the goals for the development of the cooperation mechanism. "It will allow increasing added value and using innovations where there is a need for them," he emphasized, noting that the current mechanism is also available for projects involving partners from outside the EAEU as a fourth party.
During the meeting, representatives of the business community in the agro-industrial complex also spoke, outlining the difficulties faced by enterprises and proposing potential projects that could qualify for EEC funding.
The production director of Kazrost LLP (Republic of Kazakhstan) shared practical experience in implementing the mechanism Andrey Antropov. Examples of real projects within the possible expansion of the mechanism to the agro-industrial complex were demonstrated by the Chairman of the Board of the non-profit organization "Union of Sugar Producers of Russia" Andrey Bodin, who presented a project for the creation of a Eurasian sugar beet hybrid, as well as the advisor to the president of the Kyrgyz Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (KSPP) Alexander Anisimov, who spoke about the possibilities of agro-industrial cooperation in the EAEU in the beekeeping industry with the aim of bringing export-oriented products to the external market.
Following the meeting, a decision was made to support the proposals of the EAEU Business Council Committee on the Food Market and to consolidate the proposals submitted by the participants for the development of the Eurasian mechanism for financing cooperation projects in the agro-industrial complex, which will then be submitted for consideration by the Presidium of the EAEU Business Council and sent to the responsible authorities and the EEC.
Opening the meeting, Dmitry Antonov outlined the key milestones in the development of the industrial cooperation support project and voiced proposals for fine-tuning the mechanism to the specifics of the agricultural sector. The Committee Chairman proposed to increase the maximum project implementation period to 10 years, increase the financing limit, and also consider the possibility of participation in projects of countries included in the list of observers and countries with which free trade agreements have already been concluded or are planned to be concluded. “We can use cooperative ties within the EAEU to create export cooperative chains, using countries that have joined the free trade zone. In particular, as you know, Iran recently joined the FTA. Today we are working on the possibility of expanding this list,” he noted. “It seems to me that these countries can serve as conductors of our international cooperative ties.”
Vice-President for Financial Policy and Development of Economic Sectors of the RSPP Alexander Murychev. In his speech, he noted that within the framework of implementing the cooperation support mechanism, it is important to search for companies within the EAEU space that have the desire and capabilities to implement joint projects, combining production capacities in the Union's countries.
Director of the Department of Agro-Industrial Policy of the EEC Naira Karapetyan spoke about the tools for supporting industrial cooperation in the EAEU and the possibilities of expanding them to the agro-industrial complex, taking into account the specifics of the Union's agricultural sector. Following her report, Deputy Director of the Department of Industrial Policy of the EEC Georgy Arzumanyan touched upon the financial side of ensuring the industrial cooperation support mechanism and the work of the EEC as the administrator of this activity.
Executive Secretary, Member of the Presidium of the EAEU Business Council, Managing Director for International Multilateral Cooperation and Integration of the RSPP Sergey Mikhnevich identified achieving an effective division of labor within the Union as one of the goals for the development of the cooperation mechanism. "It will allow increasing added value and using innovations where there is a need for them," he emphasized, noting that the current mechanism is also available for projects involving partners from outside the EAEU as a fourth party.
During the meeting, representatives of the business community in the agro-industrial complex also spoke, outlining the difficulties faced by enterprises and proposing potential projects that could qualify for EEC funding.
The production director of Kazrost LLP (Republic of Kazakhstan) shared practical experience in implementing the mechanism Andrey Antropov. Examples of real projects within the possible expansion of the mechanism to the agro-industrial complex were demonstrated by the Chairman of the Board of the non-profit organization "Union of Sugar Producers of Russia" Andrey Bodin, who presented a project for the creation of a Eurasian sugar beet hybrid, as well as the advisor to the president of the Kyrgyz Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (KSPP) Alexander Anisimov, who spoke about the possibilities of agro-industrial cooperation in the EAEU in the beekeeping industry with the aim of bringing export-oriented products to the external market.
Following the meeting, a decision was made to support the proposals of the EAEU Business Council Committee on the Food Market and to consolidate the proposals submitted by the participants for the development of the Eurasian mechanism for financing cooperation projects in the agro-industrial complex, which will then be submitted for consideration by the Presidium of the EAEU Business Council and sent to the responsible authorities and the EEC.