Commentary by the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan on Eurasian Economic Union issues

According to the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), signed on May 29, 2014, the purpose of the Union is to ensure free movement of goods, services, capital, and labor forces, as well as create conditions for the stable economic development of member countries to improve peoples' well-being.

Kazakhstan adheres to the position that the integration processes within the EEU are purely economic in nature. Traditionally, we note the unacceptability of endowing the bodies of Eurasian integration with unusual functions, and we oppose the politicization of the Union.

In the context of discussing initiatives, which go beyond the scope of Treaty's regulation, including applying retaliatory measures to sanctions actions of third countries, we assume that Western sanctions are based primarily on political motives and are directed against individual states not the entire EEU.

We note that the Republic of Kazakhstan does not conduct any negotiations on "consolidated measures" of the EAEU countries in response to sanctions from other states. In working with partners on Eurasian integration, a discussion could only be about joint actions to prevent the negative impact of such sanctions on the social-economic development of our countries.