EurAsEC Integration Committee will discuss Kyrgyzstan's accession to the Customs Union at the meeting in Yalta on April 15, 24.kg reported. This is reported by Russian media with reference to First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Igor Shuvalov, who yesterday met with First Deputy Prime Minister KR Omurbek Babanov.
"Igor Shuvalov and Omurbek Babanov discussed issues of bilateral economic relations and development of integration ties between Russia and Kyrgyzstan, including Kyrgyzstan's membership in the Customs Union," the official website of the Russian government informs.
"Omurbek Babanov informed his Russian counterpart that Kyrgyz Government approved the decision on the establishment of the Interdepartmental Commission on the republic's accession to the Union and Common Economic Space between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Igor Shuvalov stated that "it is an important step toward mutual integration", the report says.
Recall the decision on accession of Kyrgyzstan to the CU was adopted at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev on April 11.
A delay in addressing the issue of joining the alliance is fraught with losses amounting to $ 2 billion to the economy, said Minister of Economic Regulation of KR Uchkunbek Tashbaev.
The negotiation process, approval procedures, the signing and ratification of the necessary regulations are likely to last until October-November, the official suggests.
"Kyrgyzstan's membership is unlikely to be seriously considered before the presidential election scheduled for September 2011," Dosym Satpayev, director of risk assessment group, told Russian journalists, - "Although Moscow will benefit from Kyrgyzstan's accession taking into account geopolitical position."
"The accession of Kyrgyzstan to the union will be complicated by its membership in the WTO and, as far as it is known, with a promise to keep taxes low," Pepeliaev Group leader Galina Balandina says.
In her view, "in this case Russia, which is just entering the WTO, will receive additional issues during negotiations: an unified customs tariff rates existing in CU significantly differ from those imposed in Kyrgyzstan."