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36 countries show interest in broader cooperation with Customs Union

The Commission coordinates integration processes within the Customs Union and the Unified Economic Space

YEREVAN, November 6 (Itar-Tass) - Thirty-six countries are showing interest in broader cooperation with the Customs Union created by Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, Viktor Khristenko, chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission’s Board, said.

“Very many countries express their intention and interest to broaden cooperation with the Customs Union. As of now, 36 countries would like to build advanced relations with the Customs Union,” he said on Wednesday, November 6.

“Specifically, during the prime minister’s visit to Moscow India emphasised its commitment to advanced interaction at the level of comprehensive free trade agreement with the Customs Union,” Khristenko said.

“We are working on some aspects of this with Vietnam, New Zealand and the European Free Trade Association and we will work on this with Switzerland,” he added.

“No statement on Turkey’s accession to the Customs Union exists. It is not among the candidate countries and its statement has not been considered,” Khristenko said.

The Customs Union between Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia came into existence on January 1, 2010. Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia are to go on with economic integration and vowed to remove all customs borders between each other after July 2011. It is separate from the Eurasian Union.

The Eurasian Economic Commission is a supranational body of the Common Economic Space created by Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. The Common Economic Space has been operating since the start of 2012. A supranational regulatory body - the Eurasian Economic Commission - has been created and has become operational. It will take over the function of further deepening of integration.

Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan signed the Agreement on the Eurasian Economic Commission on November 18, 2011. The Commission started working on January 1, 2012.

The Commission coordinates integration processes within the Customs Union and the Unified Economic Space.

The Commission has a Council made up of deputy prime ministers, which will carry out overall supervision of integration processes, and a Board, a working body to which all member states will delegate their representatives.

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