Saint Petersburg, December 22, 2025 – The Europe Today: President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for the complete elimination of administrative barriers in mutual trade among member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), stressing that the creation of artificial obstacles undermines the practical benefits of regional integration.
According to the Akorda press service, President Tokayev made the remarks while addressing the regular meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Saint Petersburg. He said the time has come to fully eradicate practices that hinder the free movement of goods and citizens within the Union.
“Artificial restrictions on the movement of citizens and kilometer-long queues of freight transport at borders must be removed,” the Kazakh President said. He stressed that customs regulation and state control measures, including transport, sanitary, veterinary and phytosanitary controls, should not be used as tools to advance narrow interests or force certain decisions within the EAEU.
President Tokayev noted that over the years, the Union has adopted a substantial number of documents aimed at ensuring a barrier-free trading environment. He emphasized the need for strict observance of mutual obligations and the prompt elimination of existing “bottlenecks” in trade and transit. To swiftly identify potential barriers, he proposed that the Eurasian Economic Commission consider the use of artificial intelligence technologies to monitor legislative initiatives across EAEU countries.
He underlined that the full-fledged functioning of a single, barrier-free market and the unconditional guarantee of free transit of goods must remain top priorities. “Our citizens and businesses should feel the real, practical benefits of integration,” he said.
The President also highlighted the importance of expanding the geography of the EAEU’s trade and economic cooperation. He welcomed the signing this year of a Free Trade Agreement with Mongolia and an Economic Partnership Agreement with the United Arab Emirates, noting that a similar agreement with Indonesia was also set to be signed.
“These agreements are an important result of our joint efforts and demonstrate the growing interest of third countries in deepening trade relations with the Eurasian Economic Union,” President Tokayev said. Looking ahead, he called for enhanced engagement with countries of the Global South, the Arab world, Southeast Asia and Africa, and for closer cooperation with major regional groupings such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Earlier in his address, President Tokayev noted that the combined GDP of EAEU member states could grow by 2 percent in 2025. He also reiterated his proposal to integrate artificial intelligence into the core activities of the Union, while emphasizing that the EAEU has the potential to emerge as a major global transport and logistics hub.
