BISHKEK (TCA) — At the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, the governing body of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), in St. Petersburg (Russia) on December 26, Presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia signed the new Customs Code of the Eurasian Economic Union.
The EEU also includes Belarus, whose President Alexander Lukashenko did not attend the meeting.
Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambayev signed the new Customs Code, but he did not sign the EEU member states’ declaration on pursuing a joint foreign economic policy.
“Many changes have taken place: both positive and negative. Regretfully, the negative [aspects] sometimes prevail and it generally affects the way the people of Kyrgyzstan perceive the country’s entry to the Eurasian Economic Union. And this naturally leaves its negative mark on the economic effect of Kyrgyzstan’s integration with the Eurasian Economic Union,” Atambayev’s press services quoted the Kyrgyz president as saying at the meeting.
Kyrgyzstan hoped that after joining the EEU, the country will increase the export of its agricultural products to Russia and Kazakhstan, but certification and veterinary control barriers to Kyrgyz exports still remain.
The Presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia also approved proposals on the need to start talks on creation of the free trade zone between the Eurasian Economic Union and Iran, Egypt, India and Singapore, TASS news agency quoted the Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan as telling reporters.
The Presidents instructed their government to create working groups that will take part in the negotiations as well as to appoint officials responsible for the talks.
Sargsyan reminded that at present the talks on creation of EEU’s free trade zones with Serbia and Israel are ongoing. He also said that talks on the EEU’s trade and economic relations have been launched with China.
