BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

23/06/2006

Belarusian head, EurAsEC chief discuss upcoming summit

On 22 June, President of Belarus Alexandr Lukashenko and Secretary-General of the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) Grigoriy Rapota discussed issues on preparation to the session of Interstate Council of EurAsEC, which will be held in Minsk on 23 June. The EurAsEC includes Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The EurAsEC creation treaty was signed in Astana on October 10, 2000. The organization aims at promoting the creation of the common customs and economic space in the CIS. The coordination of WTO accession efforts of the member countries is another priority of EurAsEC. Leaders of EurAsEC member states will discuss about 20 issues, including strategic and tactical development of organisation. Heads of EurAsEC states should adopt decision on development of the organisation in the future. Rapota underlined that the community is in responsible stage on creation of Customs Union. The summit should determine terms of creation of Customs Union. Earlier, it is planned that preparation work on creation of Customs Union will complete in 2006. EurAsEC chief said technically this work will be completed this year ad afterwards political decision will be required in this direction. EurAsEC heads of states will also consider draft concept of international activity of the EurAsEC. Rapota said the EurAsEC is actively developing its foreign contacts. Secretary-General of EurAsEC Grigoriy Rapota positively accesses participation of Uzbekistan in the work of the organisation. Rapota said Uzbekistan holds active position in all discussed issues within the EurAsEC and participates in all its bodies. He said Uzbekistan has been full-pledged member of the organization since January 2006. Rapota said: "We are cooperating with Uzbekistan with great pleasure." He added Uzbekistan currently is joining to agreements within the community. He said the Minsk summit of EurAsEC heads would sum up interim results of these works.

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