18 June 2004 17:30
Eurasian community leaders upbeat on integration, WTO membership
[Presenter] The first step towards creating a single-tariff system on railway freight between the countries of the
EAEC [the Eurasian Economic Community of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan - the former Customs
Union] has been made.
[Passage omitted: The EAEC presidents signed a number of agreements]
The presidents discussed a whole package of issues. One of them is the creation of a single-tariff system on railway
freight.
[Nazarbayev, addressing a news conference] A total of 56 per cent of the tariffs have been coordinated to date. We
are now discussing another 10 per cent increase on that and that will be more than 60 per cent. This is serious.
As regards railway transportation in bulk between our countries - the cargoes like grain or other cargoes that are
transported by rail - we have reached an accord on identical tariffs on these bulk cargoes. Intensive talks are being
held on all other issues.
[Presenter] The sides also agreed to inform each other on preparations for WTO membership. Thus, the markets will
achieve a synchronic preparedness which is very necessary for our countries today, the presidents say.
[Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka] We are moving at different pace towards WTO membership and the process
of negotiations are also being conducted in different ways. There were - we need to speak about that openly - cases when
we did not know everything about talks our partners were holding.
[Presenter] The statement on intensifying collective security was again discussed. In light of this the leaders of
the states noted that "the need to intensify the integration process has been seriously pointed out". A
meeting in Astana is yet another step in this direction.
[Russian President Vladimir Putin] A real mechanism for integration is being created at this point. Not just talks
about integration, but a real mechanism of integration. So the final results of our today's meeting - that is the
adoption of those documents about which you know - that is the joint work in the securities market; granting a proper
status to the economic legislation of the EAEC which has created the necessary conditions to direct supranational
document of direct action, all this is very important from the point of view of realistic integration processes.
[Passage omitted: the EAEC presidents also discussed mechanisms for cooperation in the water-energy sector]
[Kazakh Television first channel] |
RUSSIA IN FACTS
