Vitebsk (Interfax) - Ukraine has been showing interest in the trilateral Customs Union set up by Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, head of Russia's Federal Customs Service Andrei Belyaninov told reporters in Vitebsk on March 15.
"As you know, several countries have expressed their wish to join the Customs Union. Ukraine too has been showing lively interest. Chief of Ukraine’s State Customs Service Ihor Kaletnik attended today’s session of the Union’s customs chiefs as an observer. He made several proposals that can bring our relations to a new level," Belyaninov said.
The Russian and Ukrainian Customs Services cooperate in a bilateral format. "Much work has been done to simplify customs formalities for physical persons traveling by railway or by the Crimea-Caucasus ferry," the official said.
Simpler customs formalities do not mean, however, that there is no customs control at all, he added.
Kaletnik, for his part, said that Ukraine had significantly boosted its trade with the Customs Union "troika" in 2011: by 37% to $6 billion with Belarus, by 54% to $52 billion with Russia and by 49% to $3 billion with Kazakhstan.
