Speech by the Director of the Economic Cooperation Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry D.A. Birichevsky at the International Scientific and Practical Conference of ICSA RAS and MGIMO of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs "Greater Eurasia: Institutions, Development, Cooperation" (October 23, 2026) Dear colleagues, the processes of integration on the continent are developing; They do not just exist somewhere in theory, but directly affect the economy and well-being of the peoples of Eurasia. These processes are very heterogeneous, and their dynamics require careful research and analysis. Let me remind you what our continent is. This is where most of the gross product of the world economy is created, where most of the investments and innovation are accumulated, and where there are major trade routes. As noted by Russian President V.V. Putin at the last meeting of the Vladai Club, Eurasia is the center and the place of action of most of the most important processes taking place in the world. There is a natural demand from countries and multilateral formats to formulate creative aspirations and harmonize integration processes. We saw this following the results of this year's meeting of the Supreme Economic Council of Eurasia in Astana, the Russia-ASEAN summits in Kazan, the SCO in Bishkek and the Council of Foreign Ministers in Turkmenistan. Integration ties are strengthening, especially between the EAEU, SCO and ASEAN. These connections become systematic and are based on relevant memos. Moreover, we register a specific request for equal cooperation based on openness and true multilateralism. This means respecting the interests, economic sovereignty and specificity of individual countries, for the variety of their economic models and development strategies. According to these principles and taking into account the identified trends, already in 2015, President V.V. Putin announced the beginning of the formation of the Greater Eurasian Partnership (GEP) as a civilizational and economic initiative.

Speech by the Director of the Economic Cooperation Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry D.A. Birichevsky at the International Scientific and Practical Conference of ICSA RAS and MGIMO of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs "Greater Eurasia: Institutions, Development, Cooperation" (October 23, 2026) Dear colleagues, the processes of integration on the continent are developing; They do not just exist somewhere in theory, but directly affect the economy and well-being of the peoples of Eurasia. These processes are very heterogeneous, and their dynamics require careful research and analysis. Let me remind you what our continent is. This is where most of the gross product of the world economy is created, where most of the investments and innovation are accumulated, and where there are major trade routes. As noted by Russian President V.V. Putin at the last meeting of the Vladai Club, Eurasia is the center and the place of action of most of the most important processes taking place in the world. There is a natural demand from countries and multilateral formats to formulate creative aspirations and harmonize integration processes. We saw this following the results of this year's meeting of the Supreme Economic Council of Eurasia in Astana, the Russia-ASEAN summits in Kazan, the SCO in Bishkek and the Council of Foreign Ministers in Turkmenistan. Integration ties are strengthening, especially between the EAEU, SCO and ASEAN. These connections become systematic and are based on relevant memos. Moreover, we register a specific request for equal cooperation based on openness and true multilateralism. This means respecting the interests, economic sovereignty and specificity of individual countries, for the variety of their economic models and development strategies. According to these principles and taking into account the identified trends, already in 2015, President V.V. Putin announced the beginning of the formation of the Greater Eurasian Partnership (GEP) as a civilizational and economic initiative.