Kyrgyzstan to open soon customs borders with EAEU countries

CHOLPON-ATA /Kyrgyzstan/, July 27. /TASS/. Kyrgyzstan will open soon its customs borders with member countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the country’s President Almazbek Atambayev said on Monday. He said he had discussed recently opening of the borders with Kazakhstan’s prime minister and understands the fears of counterparts "regarding the phyto-sanitary and veterinary control." "We are aware that Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev supports the development of situation." On July 16, the republic’s Prime Minister Temir Sariyev at a meeting with representatives of the foreign ministry said about "huge work on Kyrgyzstan’s joining EAEU." "Big input was made by the foreign ministry and the ministry of economics," the prime minister said. "On July 25 we should open the borders." Meanwhile, at a meeting of the government on July 24, Minister of Economics Oleg Pankratov said due to technical issues the process is delayed to early August. "The legal procedures of this country’s joining EAEU are being finalised," he said. "However, there are still issues to be settled for opening of the customs borders." One of them is to "adjust to the EAEU norms" technical equipment at Kyrgyzstan’s customs stations and stations of phyto-sanitary and veterinary control. He said parliaments and presidents of all member-countries had approved the agreement on Kyrgyzstan’s joining the EAEU. "The only outstanding signature is of Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev," he said. Back in 2011, Kyrgyzstan decided to join the organisation, which at that time was called the Customs Union. In December 2014, member countries signed an agreement on the republic’s joining the Union. The document will come into force as it is ratified by all the parliaments and inked by all the presidents. Besides Kyrgyzstan, EAEU unites Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. Read more