BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

26/01/2008

Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan form customs union

The signing of a package of agreements by Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan completed the process of forming the Customs Union of the three countries, Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov said here on Friday.

"The signed documents have crucial importance for the further development of integration processes within the framework of the community," Zubkov told journalists after the signing of nine agreements about the customs union at a meeting of the Interstate Council of the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC).

In August 2006, EurAsEC leaders agreed to create the Customs Union by the end of 2010, the prime minister said.

"We hope that Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will join it as soon as they are ready," Zubkov said.

Four agreements that define the structure of the Customs Union and the mechanism of accepting other members were signed at the October summit of the EurAsEC.

"Today we have made another big step in this area. There are nodoubts that if these efforts continue we will reach the goal -- the creation of a single economic space in EurAsEC," Zubkov said.

Meanwhile, Tajik Prime Minister Akil Akilov confirmed that his country, as well as Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, are ready to join the Customs Union.

"We will aspire to enter the customs union," Akilov said.

Source:

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/6345628.html