Baku - Azerbaijan is not planning to join the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) or the European Union, the country's economy and industry minister, Shahin Mustafayev said Tuesday, May 3 at a meeting with students of the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy with the participation of Russian Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev.
“Azerbaijan is not considering the possibility of joining various unions, be it the Eurasian Economic Union or the European Union, since these projects do not only have economic components but also a political implication,” Mustafayev said.
He said Azerbaijan does not have a problem with its trade regime with Russia and said this regime is comfortable. Russia is the biggest exporter to Azerbaijan, accounting for about 14 percent of the country’s imports, Mustafayev said.
Ulyukayev said that Azerbaijan joining the EEU would have a positive impact on the development of the service sector, promote the free movement of human resources, investment and the development of major investment projects, particularly in the agricultural sector. “The possibilities are very great,” he said.
Ulyukayev added that, if for some reason Azerbaijan is not interested in joining the EEU, “other transitional, bridging forms of integration are also possible.”
