MOSCOW

Heads of government of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) discussed ways to deepen industrial and agricultural cooperation on Thursday.

At a meeting in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, they agreed to continue lifting customs barriers and to allocate financing for agricultural programs.

The EAEU consists of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. It was established in 2015 at Kazakhstan's initiative to maintain economic ties in the Eurasian space.

The prime ministers of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia attended the meeting, while Armenia was represented by its deputy prime minister.

According to the annual report, Armenia benefits the most from EAEU membership. However, politically, it is clearly distancing itself from the rest of the group by frequently missing events or sending lower-level officials to represent it.