Putin: EEU, Silk Road Integration May Become Basis for Big Eurasian Partnership

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Eurasian Economic Union and the Silk Road Economic Belt could be used as a foundation stone for the Big Eurasian Partnership.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Integration of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and the Silk Road Economic Belt could become a basis for creation of the Big Eurasian Partnership with participation of member states of the EEU, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), while the BRICS cooperation potential could be used to implement this initiative, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Sputnik and the IANS news agency.

"In this context, we also proposed that work on establishing the Eurasian Economic Union should be integrated with that on the Silk Road Economic Belt. This process could eventually provide a basis for the Big Eurasian Partnership that would involve a wide range of states of the Eurasian Economic Union, the SCO, and ASEAN," Putin said.

The Russian president added that he expected that such partnership would be open for accession by all countries concerned and would be built on the principles of transparency and mutual respect.

"The BRICS cooperation potential may also be used to implement this initiative. We look forward to the support from India, which is earnestly interested in this proposal," he added.