BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

29/05/2006

Belarusian leader meets speakers of EurAsEC parliaments

Belarus, chairing the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC), intends to make any effort to stir up integration within the organization, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday at the meeting with chiefs of EurAsEC parliaments.

Heads of parliaments of EurAsEC gathered to Minks on Friday, 26 May, to attend EurAsEC Interparliamentary Assembly (IPA).

Belarusian head said the seventh plenary session of IPA in Minks will promote further development of legal base of the community.

Lukashenko said the EurAsEC is only multisided integration union in post-Soviet area, where leaders of member states "want to solve something". He said a lot should be done despite achieved success in integration processes.

President focused attention to difficult task connected with accession of EurAsEC member states to World Trade Organisation, ensuring free movement of goods, including free transit of electricity, oil and oil products within the community.

Drawing attention to processes within CIS, Lukashanko said two unions within CIS are really working - EurAsEC and Union of Belarus and Russia. But it is early to say that EurAsEC can go further than Union of Belarus and Russia, he said. Belarusian head said experience of Belarusian and Russian Union could be used in integration processes within the union.

"We did not expect ourselves that EurAsEC became the most effective and only body, on which can rely and keep integration kernel in post-Soviet area and any other country can join," Lukashanko said.

Lukashanko said the aim of the EurAsEC is effective use of potential of member states to improve life level of people. He said the member states created necessary prerequisites for this and talked about economic achievements of member-states.

Belarusian head said decisions of the EurAsEC leaders should be obligatory to all countries of the community and the sides should synchronize interstate procedures on international agreement.

President Lukashenko said the Interparliamentary Assembly of EurAsEC should control implementation of agreements within the community and initiate introduction of signed international agreements to ratification. He said effective mechanism on realization and control of agreements and decisions should be created within the community.

Lukashenko said the work on unification of legal basis on tariff-customs, fuel-energy, trade, agriculture and migration spheres should be started.

In January 2006 summit of heads of states in Saint Petersburg Lukashenko as chairman of Interstate Council of EurAsEC proposed to increase efficiency of cooperation within these structures. EurAsEC member states supported initiative of Belarusian leader.

Programme, prepared by Belarusian side, includes measures on completion of formation of legal base of Customs Union in 2006, realization of transport potential of the community, filling integration process with economic and social programmes and projects and others.

In particular, it was proposed to develop in 2006/07 and implement next three-four years an interstate programmes "Transit", "Micro electronics EurAsEC 21 century", "Biotechnology to economy", "Health of EurAsEC people", programmes on creation of joint centers on sale and service of machinery and other equipment of EurAsEC states.

The issue on adoption of concept on international activity of EurAsEC and agreement on cooperation in social welfare were also put on agenda.

The Belarusian side expects more fruitful work from EurAsEC Interparliamentary Assembly, taking into account, determined tasks.

Boris Gryzlov, chairman of the State Duma of federal Council of Russia and Chairman of EurAsEC Interparliamentary Assembly, noted importance of adoption of agreement on status of legislative in EurAsEC, which should be ratified not only by parliaments of Russia and Kyrgyz Republic.

Speaker of Duma said it is necessary to go further without waiting of ratification of this document by all member-states.

Gryzlov said the creation of Customs Union is importance issue. This issue could be solved fast without waiting accession of member states to WTO. He said early member states wanted to join WTO and after that create customs union within the community. He added that there is no need to wait and it is time to start formation of Customs Union within the existing agreements.

Belarusian leader supported this position. He said EurAsEC member states should unite economically within the community and afterwards accession to WTO will be much easier. He said the EurAsEC member states can develop effectively without accession to WTO in this stage.

Russian speaker said Uzbekistan's accession to EurAsEC is significant and importance. He said Uzbekistan's accession to the community to increase number of population of the community to 200 million.

Gryzlov noted importance of creation of single customs, transport and energy area. He criticized that many cargo transporters bypass territory of the community. He said the problem on non-existence of single tariffs.

Russian official informed Belarusian leader that the EurAsEC states are actively discussing opportunity on unification of education system. He thanked Belarus for creation of all necessary conditions for productive work of EurAsEC Interparliamentary Assembly in Minsk.

Gryzlov and parliamentarians of EurAsEC member states congratulated Lukashenko with recent victory in presidential elections.

Nurtay Abykaev, chairman of Senate of Kazakh parliament, said support of people give new impulse to achieve targets. He said the EurAsEC should be together so world respect member states. Abykaev said the Kazakh side will contribute to development of the community.

Representative of Tajikistan Ubaydullo Dovlatov said the EurAsEC member states can solve any problems together.

Marat Juraev, representative of Kyrgyz Republic, said the Belarus achieved progress in economy and its industrial complex. He praised internal policy of the country.

Ilgizar Sobirov, chairman of Uzbek Senate, said fast production trends in Belarus and good mood of people.

Lukashenko called parliamentarians to support development of the community and said it is necessary to create Customs Union. He said the Customs Union will ensure dynamics.

Source:

http://news.uzreport.com/mir.cgi?lan=e&id=11523