MOSCOW, December 31. /TASS/. President Vladimir Putin extended until July 1, 2019 a decree on measures to ensure economic security and the national interests of Russia in the course of transit cargo shipments from Ukraine to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan through Russian territory. The document to that effect has been published on Monday on the portal of legal information.
"To introduce an amendment to the decree of the President of the Russian Federation of January 1, 2016 No.1 "On measures to ensure economic security and the national interests of the Russian Federation in the implementation of international transit of goods from Ukraine to the Republic of Kazakhstan or the Kyrgyz Republic through the territory of the Russian Federation "<.. .> by replacing in paragraph 4 the words "until January 1, 2019" with the words "until July 1, 2019," the document says.
On January 1, 2016, the regime of the free trade zone of Ukraine and the EU came into force. In this situation Russia had to take measures to level out the risks that arose for its economy and suspended the agreement on a free trade zone in relation to Ukraine. Before the free trade zone regime was canceled, all Ukrainian goods, with the exception of sugar, were imported to Russia free of duty. The zeroing of the customs duty rates when importing European goods to Ukraine could lead to their uncontrolled flow to the territory of Russia.
Following the suspension of the agreement on free trade zone with Ukraine, the Russian President signed a decree on measures to ensure economic security and the national interests during the transit of goods from Ukraine to Kazakhstan through Russia.
The decree of January 1, 2016 stipulates that international transit road and rail transportation of goods from Ukraine to Kazakhstan through Russia is carried out only from the territory of Belarus. On July 1, 2016, Putin amended the decree, extending the requirements contained in it to Kyrgyzstan and extending its effect until December 31, 2017.