The countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are moving towards deeper economic integration through digitalization and artificial intelligence as the bloc's leaders meet in Astana’ for a two-day summit.
During high-level talks, member states discussed creating a unified digital environment to create an uninterrupted market in more than 20 million square kilometers of common economic space.
The delegations focused on trade, joint projects and the development of common digital tools and artificial intelligence systems designed to strengthen collaboration and reduce fragmentation across the block.
Last year, trade within the union more than doubled, while turnover with third countries %While increasing by 72 percent, EAEU countries are also contemplating a single transition system, they are now ’ is made in national currencies.
Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that with digitalization driving developments across the union, the trade turnover among EAEU members was about €80 billion this year compared to last year's €80 billion. %He said it could increase by 6 to over 85 billion euros.
GDP growth across EAEU countries for 2026-2027 %He added that it was projected to be around 2.5.
Currently in its 12th year, EAEU functions as a single integrated market and free trade zone for its five members (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia).
The bloc already has agreements with several countries, including Serbia, Vietnam, the UAE, Mongolia and Indonesia. China continues to be the bloc's key partner, accounting for about a third of foreign trade.
Integration through artificial intelligence
Kazakhstan's Tokayev said that during the EAEU presidency, the country proposed the practical use of artificial intelligence to help implement the bloc's so-called four freedoms in order to strengthen the competitiveness of its member states.
Member states also proposed developing common principles for responsible use of artificial intelligence, as well as joint computing capacity and joint model development.
Meanwhile, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin, ’e, Russia proposed a high-level AI meeting next year to advance cooperation on domestic AI models and connect IT and energy infrastructure.
Pilot projects are currently being tested at the EAEU level.
KazakhstanA variety of AI-powered digital assistants have been developed in ’ by both government agencies and start-ups to help citizens navigate legal and regulatory systems more easily.
According to Dmitry Mun’, Deputy Minister for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, these AI legal assistants are designed to simplify legislation, reduce bureaucracy, and make regulatory systems more accessible to citizens and businesses.
Some of these tools are currently being tested to streamline processes in member states.
Trade corridors and logistics modernization
According to the authorities, China’ to Europeapproximately ’i is being routed through the Middle Corridor.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used along the TDN and Digital Transportation Corridor along the Trans-Caspian International Transportation Route. Together with these measures, non-commodity exports in the next two years will be approximately %It is expected to increase by 30 percent.
Kazakhstan's Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev said that the country also aims to take advantage of major transport routes, including the Middle Corridor and the North-South Corridor, to create a fully integrated logistics ecosystem.
The goal, he said, is to position Kazakhstan’ as an important regional hub, where transport routes converge and large export flows are consolidated.
The goal is to develop a fully functioning system where cargo volumes will reach nearly 10 million tons by 2030. Work is already underway, including railway modernization and the development of new infrastructure.
Putin visit and bilateral agreements
Following Putin's official visit to ’, the two countries signed a broader package of agreements covering seven pillars of bilateral cooperation, as well as energy, transport, finance, education and industrial development.
Russia, with an investment of approximately 25 billion Euros, continues to be the largest investor in Kazakhstan, and plans to increase this figure even further. Kazakhstan is also building ’'s first nuclear power plant worth around €14 billion.
Putin, the plant Kazakhstanapproximately the electricity consumption of ’ %He said he would meet 20’sini and that the financing conditions for such projects were in line with international practices.
He said the project supports ’'s industrial capacity through equipment orders and long-term maintenance contracts, while also strengthening cooperation between the two countries in the field of uranium and nuclear technology.
Officials say that for Kazakhstan, the project represents both energy security and a step towards high-value technological cooperation beyond the export of raw materials.
