Putin says e-commerce devt delay could hit EAEU competitiveness

ST. PETERSBURG, Dec 26 (PRIME) -- Lagging behind in the global e-commerce could undermine competitiveness of members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), comprising Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia, President Vladimir Putin said Monday at a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council.

“The primary task for the short-term is formation of a single digital space of the EAEU…The digital economy has received over the recent years the widest expansion, first of all, in such counties as China and the U.S.,” Putin said.

“The EAEU members’ lag in the global e-commerce and inter-branch digital platforms could affect our competitiveness on the external and internal markets of the union.”

The union’s members should create a favorable business environment for their production and technological potential, Putin said.

“Companies of our countries should more actively cooperate in the development of industrial partnerships, more aggressively engage small and medium-sized businesses in manufacture and technological chains,” the president said.

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