CIS COUNTRIES SHOULD CREATE SINGLE ECONOMIC SPACE – RUSSIAN PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR

RIA Novosti
May 19, 2010
YEKATERINBURG

CIS states should create a single economic space like the European
Union, a Russian presidential advisor on legal affairs said on
Wednesday.

"We are interested in the [CIS] countries being in some large
economy," Veniamin Yakovlev said, adding that it is unnecessary to
unite politically.

"However, I think it is essential to unite behind having a large
economy," he continued.

The CIS, a loose association of post-Soviet countries, consists of
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.

"In the framework of the Soviet Union we had a large economy, one of
the largest in the world," he said. "We do not have such an economic
space now, we have divided it into national borders."

He said a single economic space is essential as "no one will save
us and help" the CIS countries. He also added that the CIS could use
the experience of the EU.

Yakovlev said that large economies had been able to withstand the
global financial crisis better.

Last week, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Hryshchenko said
Ukraine did not intend to join a customs union being established by
Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, but supported the idea of free trade
among former Soviet republics adding that Ukraine’s accession to the
proposed Customs Union would go against Ukraine’s commitments as a
member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

In January 2009, Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan agreed to create a
single economic space by January 1, 2012.

In June 2009, the heads of governments of the countries notified
the WTO of their intention to join the world trade club as a customs
union. In October 2009, the three ex-Soviet republics announced they
would hold talks on WTO accession separately, but on synchronized
positions.

The three ex-Soviet republics suspended their bilateral negotiations
on WTO entry to hold consultations on a common position on the
customs union.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress