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ARMENIA SIGNS CUSTOMS UNION ROADMAP, KYRGYZSTAN NEEDS MORE TALKS
Russia Today
Dec 24 2013
Armenia is on course to join the Customs Union with Russia, Belarus,
and Kyrgyzstan by January 2015, after signing a "roadmap" in Moscow.
Despite declaring its interest only three months ago, it may join
earlier than Kyrgyzstan, which applied in 2011.
The news was announced after an official meeting between the heads
of state of the three original members and two potential ones. The
meeting also included Ukraine, which has observer status. Ukrainian
Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov was present at the gathering.
"We welcome the interest in closer co-operation from the non-member
states. We have approved the roadmap that will allow Armenia to join
the union and the common economic area, and a similar document for
Kyrgyzstan is virtually ready," Russian President Vladimir Putin
told reporters.
The Customs Union, which seeks to gather all ex-Soviet nations to form
a free trade zone to rival the EU, is the Russian leader's project.
Armenia's bilateral trade with Russia, its biggest foreign partner,
reached US$1.2 billion in 2012 - a negligible amount for Moscow.
Double digit growth has taken place, however, as the Caucasian country
of three million people continues to recover from the effects of a
severe economic crisis.
Armenia had long negotiated a potential Association Agreement with
the EU, similar to the one that has been causing upheaval in Ukraine,
but reversed course towards Russia in September.
Among the potential obstacles to effective membership for Yerevan
are the lack of shared borders with other member states and the
unresolved status of the Nagorno Karabakh region, which is contested
with Azerbaijan. A special provision has been included in the roadmap,
which will define the status of the region and whether it constitutes
part of the Customs Union.
Kyrgyzstan's signing of a similar roadmap will be postponed at least
until the next session of the union in March, following critical
public comments made by the country's president last week.
Almazbek Atambaev told media in Bishkek that the roadmap had been
"drafted without Kyrgyzstan's involvement" and risked subjecting the
country to "social problems and instability."
Belarus and Kazakhstan are also not entirely agreed on the nature of
the partnership between the member states, with Belarusian leader
Aleksandr Lukashenko calling for wider diplomatic and political
integration between the countries during Tuesday's meeting, and
Kazakh leader Narsultan Nazarbaev retorting that the Customs Union
"must not become politicized."
President Putin nonetheless assured that the union is still on course
to come into power on the long-declared date of January 1, 2015,
with details finalized by May 2014.
"Next we must document the economic obligations of the member states
to ensure that they are doing everything to ensure the free economic
movement of goods," said the Russian leader.
"Eventually we are hoping that the amount of exceptions that restrict
free trade will be reduced to zero," he added.
http://rt.com/business/kyrgyzstan-armenia-customs-union-749/
Russia Today
Dec 24 2013
Armenia is on course to join the Customs Union with Russia, Belarus,
and Kyrgyzstan by January 2015, after signing a "roadmap" in Moscow.
Despite declaring its interest only three months ago, it may join
earlier than Kyrgyzstan, which applied in 2011.
The news was announced after an official meeting between the heads
of state of the three original members and two potential ones. The
meeting also included Ukraine, which has observer status. Ukrainian
Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov was present at the gathering.
"We welcome the interest in closer co-operation from the non-member
states. We have approved the roadmap that will allow Armenia to join
the union and the common economic area, and a similar document for
Kyrgyzstan is virtually ready," Russian President Vladimir Putin
told reporters.
The Customs Union, which seeks to gather all ex-Soviet nations to form
a free trade zone to rival the EU, is the Russian leader's project.
Armenia's bilateral trade with Russia, its biggest foreign partner,
reached US$1.2 billion in 2012 - a negligible amount for Moscow.
Double digit growth has taken place, however, as the Caucasian country
of three million people continues to recover from the effects of a
severe economic crisis.
Armenia had long negotiated a potential Association Agreement with
the EU, similar to the one that has been causing upheaval in Ukraine,
but reversed course towards Russia in September.
Among the potential obstacles to effective membership for Yerevan
are the lack of shared borders with other member states and the
unresolved status of the Nagorno Karabakh region, which is contested
with Azerbaijan. A special provision has been included in the roadmap,
which will define the status of the region and whether it constitutes
part of the Customs Union.
Kyrgyzstan's signing of a similar roadmap will be postponed at least
until the next session of the union in March, following critical
public comments made by the country's president last week.
Almazbek Atambaev told media in Bishkek that the roadmap had been
"drafted without Kyrgyzstan's involvement" and risked subjecting the
country to "social problems and instability."
Belarus and Kazakhstan are also not entirely agreed on the nature of
the partnership between the member states, with Belarusian leader
Aleksandr Lukashenko calling for wider diplomatic and political
integration between the countries during Tuesday's meeting, and
Kazakh leader Narsultan Nazarbaev retorting that the Customs Union
"must not become politicized."
President Putin nonetheless assured that the union is still on course
to come into power on the long-declared date of January 1, 2015,
with details finalized by May 2014.
"Next we must document the economic obligations of the member states
to ensure that they are doing everything to ensure the free economic
movement of goods," said the Russian leader.
"Eventually we are hoping that the amount of exceptions that restrict
free trade will be reduced to zero," he added.
http://rt.com/business/kyrgyzstan-armenia-customs-union-749/