Ukrainian Premier Mykola Azarov has said that the agreement on a free trade area within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is the best form of relations between CIS members.
“We have active trade and economic cooperation with the CIS. Trade
between our countries is becoming more intensive,” the premier said on
Monday at a special session of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament.
According to Azarov, the share of the CIS countries in Ukraine’s external trade now exceeds 40%.
“What are Ukraine’s benefits from the ratification of the free trade
area agreement? First of all, the articles of the new agreement are
based on the standards and regulations of the World Trade Organization.
Secondly, the agreement clearly sets all existing as of today interstate
import and export agreements and we agreed to extend these lists and
not to increase duty rates,” Azarov said.
“It is important that by this document we have finally set the export
duty on commodity items and goods which we established right after
joining the WTO,” the premier said.
“The agreement contains specific articles aimed at the protection of
the interests of national manufacturers and at improving the conditions
of access of Ukrainian products to CIS member markets,” he said.
Azarov said that the document also stipulates the procedures for
settling disputes between parties of agreements envisaged by the WTO.
“There is one more important thing I would like to add – the
agreement has a special item on transit by pipeline transportation,
which was also added [to the document] at Ukraine’s initiative. It
foresees drawing up and adopting a special item within six months of the
date of the agreement taking effect. The government has instructed the
Energy and Coal Industry Ministry and other central executive agencies
to draft such an agreement,” Azarov said.
“As soon as the agreement takes effect we expect that trade between
Ukraine and the CIS will rise by more than a third, which is 35%. This
will also contribute to the growth of GDP,” the premier said.
He said the free trade area within the CIS “is the best model of
cooperation between the commonwealth member states, and will become an
additional stimulus for strengthening the competitiveness of Ukraine’s
economy.”
