BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

18/02/2010

Tigipko: Ukraine shouldn't join Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan

Interfax-Ukraine

Strong Ukraine Party leader Sergiy Tigipko has said that Ukraine shouldn't join the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

"The advantages of customs integration with CIS partners are not obvious, while the losses in negotiations with the European Union on a free trade zone may be large," he said, commenting on news that one of the priorities in the foreign policy of President Elect Viktor Yanukovych will be joining the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

According to the politician, still it isn't clear how this organization [the Customs Union] will work in practice.

"It was launched only on January 1, 2010 and the single direct consequence is a significant rise in prices for meat and some other goods in Russia," he said.

Tigipko noted that three members of the Customs Union are not members of the World Trade Organization, in contrast to Ukraine.

"They can apply protective measures which Kyiv can't afford to take itself... The Customs Union in the near future will not be an effective mechanism for promoting mutual trade," Tigipko said.

He also added that joining this union would make negotiations on the creation of a free trade zone with the EU more complicated.

Source:

http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/59868/


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