Uzbekistan may become an observer at EAEU in 2020

Possibility of Uzbekistan’s obtaining an observer status at the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) may be decided next year, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council’s Committee on international affairs Farit Mukhametshin said, following a senators’ trip to Tashkent.

“Finally, next year the question can be decided on Uzbekistan’s obtaining the observer status at the Eurasian Economic Union,” Interfax quoted Mukhametshin as saying.

Earlier, the Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said that the Uzbek authorities are considering the issue of the country’s joining the EAEU.

“We know, and it is announced that the President of Uzbekistan made a decision and the issue of Uzbekistan’s joining the Eurasian Economic Union is being worked out,” Matviyenko said in Tashkent at a meeting with the Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis Nurdinjon Ismoilov. 

According to the First Deputy Chairman of the Senate Sodik Safoyev, when making a decision on joining the EAEU, Uzbekistan will proceed only from its national interests.

“The main leitmotif of studying the issue of joining any organization, including the EAEU, is the national interests of Uzbekistan. For us, the priority of national interests is an inviolable right,” Safoyev said.

He noted that there are more advanced integration organizations – for example, the European Union, where countries “lose control of their financial systems, borders, legislation and legal proceedings”. At the same time, he emphasized that Uzbekistan would not allow this.

Currently, the EAEU includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. Moldova holds an observer status in the organization.