MOSCOW, December 22 (Itar-Tass) — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sets the objective to set up a Eurasian economic union by 2015 and to deepen integration processes among post-Soviet states.
“Breakthrough results have been achieved in integration processes on the post-Soviet space,” the president said in his state-of-the-nation address. “The Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia began functioning in full on July 1 of this year. And quite recently a treaty on the zone of free trade was signed within the CIS framework. It will begin functioning already next year,” President Medvedev stressed.
“I am very glad that together with our colleagues we have managed to finally solve these most important tasks,” the president stressed. He said that “according to most modest expert estimates, the market of unimpeded sales of Russian products has expanded by 20 percent as the result of the removal of barriers for mutual trade, and the amount of trade within the framework of the Customs Union has already grown by one third”.
“A common competitive environment is being formed on the markets of its member countries, new jobs are created and the transit potential is used efficiently,” Medvedev continued. “Entrepreneurs get better conditions for an access to international markets,” he added.
“We will continue advancing in the issue of economic integration,” Medvedev pledged. “A Common Economic Space of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan will be launched on January 1, 2012,” he said. “A free movement of services, capitals and workforce will appear in addition to a free movement of goods,” the president reported.
“The aim is to set up by 2015 a Eurasian economic union, which will to a great extent determine the future of our countries,” he stressed.