The decision for Kyrgyzstan to join the EAEU was well thought out and beneficial, according to Temir Sariyev

The head of the Kyrgyz Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Temir Sariyev, has refuted the opinion that the republic ‘rushed’ into the Eurasian Economic Union. According to him, the decision was carefully thought out and has brought tangible economic results.

Speaking at the scientific and practical conference ‘10 Years of the Kyrgyz Republic's Accession to the EAEU,’ held on 13 August in Issyk-Kul, Sariyev recalled that in 2011, as Minister of Economy, he participated in the preparation of the first steps towards joining the union. At that time, according to him, Kyrgyzstan officially announced its readiness to join the Union, which at that time was an association of three countries, then it became a single economic space, and only in May 2014 was the agreement on the creation of the EAEU signed.

‘In 2012, we formed a working group and began an in-depth study of all aspects. The decision to join was politically balanced and economically sound,’ Temir Sariev emphasised.

He cited a statistical example: in 2015, Kyrgyzstan's GDP was about 450 billion KGS, and by 2024 it reached 1.5 trillion KGS. Sariyev stressed that these figures show that integration into the Union has become not only a political but also an economic success for the country.