English

Lukashenka warns against premature establishment of Eurasian Economic Union

It would be very risky and wrong to establish the Eurasian Economic Union before the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia becomes a fully fledged entity, Alyaksandr Lukashenka said in Moscow on Tuesday, speaking during a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council.

According to Russia's RIA Novosti, Mr. Lukashenka explained that even the movement of goods within the Customs Union remained an unresolved issue.

Despite the troika's agreements, exceptions from the Customs Union's free trade regime have not been removed, including restrictions on trade in alcohol, cigarettes, medicines, natural gas, crude oil, petroleum products, motor vehicles, fish, and so on, he said.

The free movement of goods should become an example of how other freedoms should be respected within the Eurasian Economic Union, he stressed. Otherwise, it is clear even to "non-economists" that the whole Eurasian Economic Union project and its economic expediency will look questionable, he said.

That is why Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia should view each other's goods as their own and eliminate all trade barriers, including export and other duties and quantitative restrictions, Mr. Lukashenka said. //BelaPAN