Russia to ease drafting Eurasian Economic Union free trade deal with Egypt

Russia will seek to greatly facilitate the drafting of a free trade agreement between the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Egypt, Russian upper house speaker Valentina Matvienko stated on Saturday.

Matvienko came to Cairo earlier in the day for talks with top officials as well as parliamentarians. The meetings focused on bilateral and global issues, including parliamentary cooperation and the fight against terrorism.

“We will in every way facilitate a prompt harmonization of documents on signing a free trade area agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union,” Matvienko said while meeting Egypt’s Prime Minister Sherif Ismail.

EAEU members approved proposals to start talks on free trade agreements with Egypt, as well as Iran, India and Singapore, in late 2016.

Matvienko also said on Saturday that Moscow is interested in the successful construction of the Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Egypt’s north.

The EAEU, comprising Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, is an international organization that encourages regional economic integration through the free movement of goods, services, and people within the union.

Source: Sputnik News