Belarus’ presidency of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) bodies in 2025 proved very effective, Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Natalya Petkevich told the Belarus 1 TV channel.
“It is very gratifying that we managed, despite almost no one believing it was possible, though we, Belarus, pushed for it, to sign this year, within the framework of our presidency, a five-year implementation plan for the declaration, with a view to the future. We did it. Therefore, our presidency was highly effective. We have fulfilled practically the entire strategy,” Natalya Petkevich said. "Out of 500 planned events, literally only a couple of dozen remain unfulfilled. I believe this is a very good result.”
At the same time, she drew attention to the unresolved issues remaining within the EAEU. “The key point, as the president noted, is that we are doing something yet are afraid. We are afraid to make compromises. The head of state pointed out that we once started with enthusiasm [establishing the EAEU], understanding that we were moving towards common goals, common markets, and overcoming barriers. We fully realized that to create something common, there must be a joint path to a single goal, which in some ways requires restraining oneself and making compromises. But now there seems to be some retreat from this,” the deputy prime minister said.
According to her, at summits, sometimes, and this is the most frustrating part, too much attention is paid to debating minor points of contention. Instead of “arguing over trifles”, the deputy prime minister stressed, it is necessary to address truly important issues. “It’s a pity to waste time on this squabbling over a single word,” she added.