Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin instructed the Russian government to intensify efforts for creation a Common Economic Space of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan. According to the Russian prime minister, it is necessary to implement in connection with the forthcoming important international events this week within the CIS, EurAsEC and the Customs Union.
As stressed by the head of the Russian government, «it is necessary to consider a package of proposals to sign with our partners in the near future,» and this can be applied not only to the improvement of the CU work, BelTA informs.
«In fact, we have long been engaged in the next stage of integration — the creation of the Single Economic Space, which should start its work no later than January 1, 2012, and its legal framework should be prepared in advance,» Vladimir Putin said.
The Prime Minister recalled that Russia is ready to make concessions to Belarus in the sphere of energy, if the ratification of the entire package of documents is implemented sooner. «We must do everything possible to accommodate all the documents and let it be ratified in time,» the Russian prime minister concluded.
As Telegraf previously reported, Belarus expects the formation of the Common Economic Space (CES) of the Customs Union of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan earlier than planned. «The Presidents have set a task to resolve the issue by January 1, 2012. I think we will solve it earlier,» Prime Minister Sergei Sidorski said at a meeting with Latvian representatives of business circles in Riga on September 24.
The vice-premier of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov said in Astana on July 5 that Russia would withdraw the customs duty on crude oil and petroleum products to Belarus after Minsk’s ratification of the whole package of documents to create a single economic space.
According to Andrei Kobyakov, the customs duty on crude oil and petroleum products to Belarus will be removed automatically, without waiting for Russia and Kazakhstan to sign and ratify the CES documents.
