Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)

Kyrgyz President Signs Ratification to Join Eurasian Economic Union

Russia ratifies agreement on Kyrgyzstan’s accession to Eurasian Economic Union

I hope Tajikistan to follow soon

Eurasian Economic Commission to announce date of opening Kyrgyzstan’s customs borders

BISHKEK, July 13. /TASS/. The parliaments of all member-countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) have ratified the agreement on Kyrgyzstan’s accession to the organization and are now required to notify the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) about it in accordance with the established procedure, Kyrgyz Economy Minister Oleg Pankratov told TASS on Monday.

"The fact that the parliaments have ratified the agreement is a very important step, and its opens us the way to the EAEU," he said. "However, to ensure that the laws on ratification come into force, it’s necessary to go through a few more technical procedures." In particular, the union’s member-countries must notify the EEC about the decisions through diplomatic channels. "As soon as the commission receives the last notice of ratification, the treaty will come into effect," the minister said. "Which means that the decision on the date of opening the customs borders will be made by the EEC." Pankratov noted that there was an agreement between the member-countries that, as soon as the agreement formally entered into force, "customs officers would leave their duty stations", and all "administration procedures would be terminated."

Kyrgyzstan, which of all the EAEU member-counties has a common border only with Kazakhstan, decided to join the organization in the spring of 2011. The treaty on its accession to the union was signed last December. Apart from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the EAEU also comprises Russia, Armenia and Belarus.

Procedure of Kyrgyzstan’s EAEU accession nearing completion — economy minister

It is necessary to bring the infrastructure of the Kyrgyz customs stations, veterinary and phytosanitary control stations into conformity with the EAEU regulations, Kyrgyzstan’s Economy

BISHKEK, July 24. /TASS/. The processes connected with Kyrgyzstan’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are drawing to a close, the opening of the customs bodies with the association’s member-countries is due to be held in the near future, Kyrgyzstan’s Economy Minister Oleg Pankratov told the government session on Friday.

"The legal procedures for our country’s accession to the EAEU are nearing completion," he said. "However, there are still issues in the country that need to be addressed for the opening of the customs borders." In particular, it is necessary to bring the infrastructure of the Kyrgyz customs stations, veterinary and phytosanitary control stations "into conformity with the EAEU regulations." According to Pankratov, to date the parliaments and presidents of all member-countries have endorsed the agreement on Kyrgyzstan’s accession to the EAEU. "The document is yet to be signed by Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev," the minister said.

Kyrgyzstan decided to join the association named the Customs Union at the time in the spring of 2011. In December 2014 an agreement was signed on the republic’s accession to the EAEU. This document will come into full effect after it is ratified by the parliaments and signed by the presidents of all EAEU member-countries. Apart from Kyrgyzstan, the EAEU comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.

Russia Receives Request to Establish Analogue of ECHR in Eurasia

The Russian Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Justice have received a proposal on the establishment of a Eurasian Court of Human Rights, Izvestiya newspaper reported Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The proposal was made by the chairwoman of the Commission on Development of Public Diplomacy and Support of Russian Compatriots Abroad, Elena Sutormina, following a recent deterioration of relations between Russia and the West.

According to Sutormina, international events during the previous year once again clearly demonstrate that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) "applies double standards and biased approaches to claims supplied by Russia."

"Given the importance of the formation of a multipolar world based on the principles of fairness and equality, as well as the dynamic development of cooperation between Russia and many Asian nations, it is appropriate to create an alternative structure for human rights in the Eurasian region," the text of the appeal addressed to the Russian ministries reads, as quoted by Izvestiya.

Sutormina, the author of the appeal, specified in a letter to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that a preliminary discussion of the proposal could take place at a meeting of Russia and China's leaders in Beijing, scheduled for September 2015.

Recently, Russian politicians have criticized the ECHR for being biased and politicized.

In July 2014, Europe’s top human rights court ruled that Russia must pay about $2 billion to Yukos shareholders. This prompted France and Belgium to freeze certain assets of the Russian state earlier in the summer, which were later unblocked. The Russian Justice Ministry said it would not honor the ECHR ruling because compliance would put the ministry in breach of Russia’s constitution.

Earlier in July, Speaker of the Russian lower house of parliament (State Duma) Sergei Naryshkin stressed the necessity of assessing current international law, adding that modern standards are being ignored by many world politicians.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/russia/20150731/1025258296.html#ixzz3hTMSAL6t

Kyrgyzstan opens customs border with Kazakhstan and other EAEU members

This opens new possibilities and provides several exemptions for Kyrgyz citizens, businessmen and migrants working abroad, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Temir Sariyev says

BISHKEK, August 12. /TASS/. A solemn ceremony of lifting customs controls has taken place today on the border between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in the framework of the latter’s full-fledged accession to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

"From this day, Kygryztsan will freely move its goods, services, capital and labor force along with other EAEU member countries," Kyrgyz Prime Minister Temir Sariyev said. "This, in turn, opens new possibilities and provides several exemptions for our citizens, businessmen and migrants working abroad." The prime minister also noted that opening customs borders in the framework of EAEU will "open new prospects" for Kyrgyzstan’s economy as well.

The ceremony of lifting customs control which took place at the Ak-Zhol checkpoint on the Bishkek-Almaty highway was attended by Kyrgyzstan’s Prime Minister Temir Sariyev and Kazakhstan’s First Premier Bakhytzhan Sagintayev. The president of the two countries Almazbek Atambayev and Nursultan Nazarbayev watched the ceremony live on video from the Kyrgyz city of Cholpon-Ata.

Customs controls will be lifted at eight checkpoints on Kyrgyz-Kazakhstani border today. The Kyrgyz authorities will set up special customs offices near them to help businessmen and citizens to adapt to new economic conditions. The offices will work until August 31.

The EAEU, which currently comprises Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, is a new integration association. It started functioning from January 1, 2015 instead of the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC). The former officially ceased to exist on October 10, 2014.

The Treaty on the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union was signed by the presidents of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan on May 29, 2014 in Astana.

The agreement is the basic document defining the accords between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan for creating the Eurasian Economic Union for the free movement of goods, services, capital and workforce and conducting coordinated, agreed or common policies in key sectors of the economy, such as energy, industry, agriculture and transport.

The agreement stipulates the transition of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan to the next stage of integration after the Customs Union and the common economic space.

Kyrgyzstan’s accession to Eurasian Economic Union will deepen ties with Russia — Putin

Kyrgyzstan became the fifth member of the Eurasian Economic Union on August 12

MOSCOW, August 31. /TASS/. Kyrgyzstan’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) will create new possibilities for strengthening cooperation, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a telegram to Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev on Monday.

The Kremlin press service said in the telegram on occasion of the republic’s independence day Putin praised the "successful and consistent development of the Russian-Kyrgyz relations in the spirit of mutual confidence and strategic partnership."

"The accession of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan to the Eurasian Economic Union has opened up new possibilities for building up closer integration ties in various spheres," Putin stressed.

The Russian leader expressed confidence that the further diversification of the mutually beneficial Russian-Kyrgyz cooperation meets the vital interests of peoples of the two countries and will contribute to supporting stability and security in the Central Asian region," the Kremlin press service said.

Kyrgyzstan became the fifth member of the Eurasian Economic Union on August 12. The economic bloc, which came into force in January 2015, also consists of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.

Russia hopes for soonest ratification of EEU-Vietnam free trade zone agreement

A free trade zone agreement between EEU and Vietnam, the first ever such agreement signed by the newly formed Union and a third party, was signed back in May 2015

MOSCOW, September 22. /TASS/. Russia’s and Vietnam’s parliaments are interested in the soonest ratification of the free trade zone agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and Vietnam, Valentina Matviyenko, the speaker of Russian parliament’s upper house, the federation Council, said on Tuesday at a meeting with deputy speaker of Vietnam’s National Assembly (parliament) Tong Thi Phong.

"On our part, we will do our best to ratify the free trade zone agreement [between the Eurasian Economic Union and Vietnam] as soon as possible. We hope the Vietnamese parliament will do the same," she said, adding that the signing of this document in May 2015 was a milestone event.

"Vietnam was the first interstate partner of the Eurasian Economic Union to sign such document," Matviyenko said. She said she was confident the implementation of this agreement "will make it possible to considerably increase bilateral trade to at least $10 billion by 2020 and will encourage diversification of our trade though the growth of investments, services, technologies, highly-qualified personnel."

In May 2015, the Eurasian Economic Union and Vietnam signed a free trade zone agreement, the first ever such agreement signed by the newly formed Union and a third party. The Eurasian Economic Union currently comprises Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia. Kyrgyzstan is in the state of joining the Union.

The agreement binds its signatories to simplify access of goods to their markets for parties to the agreement. Customs duties will be reduced on 88% of traded commodity. Customs duties on 59% of goods will be reduced immediately after the agreement comes into force, and in a span of five to ten years — on the rest 29% An average level of Vietnam’s customs duties on goods from the Eurasian Economic Union will be brought down from ten to one percent by 2025.

PM: Kyrgyzstan integration in Eurasian European Union to trigger entrepreneurship

The country already ranks among leaders in terms of easiness of starting business, Prime Minister Temir Sariev notes

BISHKEK, September 21. /TASS/. Kyrgyzstan’s full-fledged integration in the Eurasian European Union (EAEU) will trigger development of entrepreneurship in the republic, Prime Minister Temir Sariev said at a meeting with businessmen on Monday.

"Due to Kyrgyzstan’s integration in the EAEU entrepreneurs will have new trade and economic opportunities," Sariev said, adding that the government is making all efforts to ease life for businessmen. "We’ve minimized the state’s participation in the work of business entities," PM said. Also, he said, Kyrgyzstan has very permissive tax regulation, with income tax standing at 10% and value-added tax totaling 12%.

"The country already ranks among leaders in terms of easiness of starting business," he said. "We’re the 9th in the world in terms of business registration," Sariev said, adding that there’s been progress in terms of receiving access for construction. In recent years, Kyrgyzstan has gone up in the global competitiveness rating first ever in its history from 121 to 106 spot, he said.

The Eurasian Economic Union, which implies free movement of goods, services, capital and labour and is based on the Customs Union, started operating in January, replacing the Eurasian Economic Community, which officially ceased to exist last October.

Kyrgyzstan became the fifth member of the EAEU on August 12. The treaty on Kyrgyzstan joining the bloc was signed in Moscow on December 23, 2014. On May 8, EAEU member states — Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia — signed in Moscow a protocol, which defined terms and transitional periods of the republic’s accession to the union.