Russian, Belarusian presidents hail economic bloc agreement
NTV Mir, Moscow
27 Aug 05
[Presenter] The stands are full, the horses are at the start line. The
bets have already been placed. The races are beginning in Kazan. The
main race is for the Russian president’s cup and a prize of R5m. Our
special correspondent Sergey Savin joins us live to tell us what is
happening at the racecourse in the capital of Tatarstan and the
results of the meeting of participants in the Single Economic Space
[SES]. [Passage omitted]
How did today’s meeting of the leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus
and Ukraine, the states that are involved in the Single Economic
Space, go? What did the presidents agree on?
[Correspondent] Yes, Aleksey. Before lunch the meeting of the four
leaders, or as they are calling it in Kazan “summit no 2”, took
place. This involved the countries in the Single Economic Space:
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Russia.
Talk of the mutual benefits from creating the SES began two years ago
and since then work has been fully under way. The presidents described
today’s meeting as extremely constructive. The countries have agreed
that Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan will sign 29 documents in December
and after 1 January 2005 [as received – ITAR-TASS reports the
documents are to be signed by 1 March 2006] another 15 documents will
be signed. Even Ukraine, which is currently noticeably lagging behind
in the integration process, expressed its willingness to take part in
agreeing and preparing the documents.
Here is what the presidents said:
[Russian President Vladimir Putin] We are working on the basis that
the documents that we have drawn up will come into force as sets of 29
and 44 [documents]. This means that each partner must determine for
itself whether these are beneficial for them or not from an economic
point of view.
Therefore, I am in full agreement with Viktor Andriyovych [Yushchenko,
Ukrainian president] that if society or the parliament in any of our
countries has any kind of doubts, then it is best not to rush. It is
better to carefully consider and weigh up all the pros and cons and
only after this take a decision. Anything other than that will be
perceived as something imposed from the outside, which is always
counterproductive.
On the other hand, if we work towards signing 44 agreements by March
next year, everything will be properly worked out and the market
players and the populations of our countries will see that this will
bring benefits, then this is a different situation.
[Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka] We weren’t able to
suspect that literally two years later the idea of a Single Economic
Space would turn out to be so popular. The policies and the agreements
and documents, which we then began to work on, are today needed as
never before because without them we cannot develop our economies at
such speeds and supply the growth in the trade turnover.
[Correspondent] High-level politics is gradually starting to move out
of the limelight on the stage of events in Kazan. The heads of state
have only official bilateral meetings left. Of these it is perhaps
worth mentioning the meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and
Armenia. They are planning to discuss the settlement of the situation
in Nagornyy Karabakh.