Customs union is real integration project - view.

15/9 Tass 364

MOSCOW, September 15 (Itar-Tass) - Secretary General of the Eurasian
Economic Community (EurAsEC) Tair Mansurov expressed confidence that the
Customs Union, which is being set up by Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, is
a real integration project.
"The Customs Union is a real integration project in the post Soviet
space, which confirms that we're keeping pace with integration processes
in the world," Mansurov said at a news conference at Itar-Tass on Tuesday.
"The Customs Unions is the first success of EurAsEC; it opens a way to
the formation of common economic space and a future currency market," he
added.
Mansurov reminded that at a meeting of the EurAsEC Interstate Council
on June 9, 2009, the prime ministers of the member-states made the
decision on launching the Customs Union from January 1, 2010.
"At the upcoming session of the Interstate Council on November 27 at
the level of presidents, the member states are expected to approve the
single customs tariff and the Customs Code," he went on to say.
The Customs Union regulator is be vested with the necessity powers
from July 2010.
The EurAsEC secretary general noted the establishment of one customs
territory will launch "a free movement of goods, which will boost trade
turnover."
The elimination of customs and other administrative barriers in mutual
trade will contribute to economic growth and secure an additional increase
in the GDPs of the Customs Union member-states by up to 20 percent by the
year 2015," Mansurov stated.
"Today, nobody can ignore the Customs Union, not even the World Trade
Organization, which Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia can join either as a
group or separately, under the terms coordinated between themselves.
"At present, the delegations of the three countries are working out
joint approaches toward WTO talks," the EurAsEC secretary general said.
Armenia displays a considerable interest in the Customs Union. "It
participates in all our events and became one of the founders of the
EurAsEC's anti-crisis fund," Mansurov said.
-0-myz/usn