RUSSIA, June 7 - The 2nd CIS and EAEU Youth Forum is organised by the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs with support of the Eurasian Economic Commission and the CIS Executive Committee. The event is taking place during the Russian Federation’s chairmanship in EAEU bodies throughout 2023. The event involves young businesspeople, civil servants, students and representatives of university communities from CIS and EAEU countries.

Mikhail Mishustin’s remarks: Good afternoon, my young friends, I am delighted to see you all here in the city of Sochi in hospitable Russia. We would like to welcome all our guests and friends. We are currently hosting the 2^nd CIS and EAEU Youth Forum. We are very happy that our young people are on friendly terms, and they are working together. I would like to tell you about CIS programmes in general. Today, we have a programme called 100 Ideas for CIS, and we are waiting for these ideas. It is very important that we build our Commonwealth in a way that it is people-friendly, including young people. We are also expecting feedback from you. President of Russia Vladimir Putin is saying all the time that we should take everything into account, and that our plans and intentions should coincide with what people are expecting from us. Young people’s expectations are particularly important. We are also implementing integration projects in the EAEU. I would like to say that young people account for 30 percent of our association’s population or about 55 million people. This is quite a force. Mikhail Myasnikovich has provided our Commission and Executive Committee with a special app utilising the one-stop-shop principle, and we are also expecting feedback from you there. President of Russia Vladimir Putin is always saying that it is necessary to get young people more actively involved in the integration process. I would also like to discuss our education system. This is also very important. We have a multitude of network universities incorporating about 40 higher education institutions. Quite recently, just a year ago, we established the Eurasian University, and 15 higher education institutions have joined it to date. The Eurasian University will launch a MA programme on 1 September, and 40 network universities are training students under 32 MA programmes. It is very important that, after graduating from these universities, you will be able to find jobs in any CIS member country, specifically, where you will find the most interesting and friendly environment, and where you find interesting projects and innovations. A special digital system called Work in the EAEU will help you accomplish this very quickly and in a comfortable setting, using a mobile app, the way you usually do. Today, it is necessary to build our Commonwealth with the help of innovations, new technologies and new ideas. Of course, you should also contribute to this, and we are expecting these proposals from you. I cannot help mentioning that the CIS will declare 2024 the Year of the Volunteer. This implies all the most positive things that volunteers can accomplish for our people and residents of CIS countries. I know that many young people are thinking of taking part in these projects, including social projects. I would like to wish you good luck, good work, friendship and fruitful new ideas, so that you can study and work together. I would like to use this opportunity and to invite you to the Sirius Federal Territory’s youth festival, scheduled for February-March 2024. We will be delighted to see you all. Good luck, my friends, and thank you.