KIEV, January 5. /TASS/. Kiev will hold consultations with the European Union regarding the possibility of countermeasures in response to Russia’s ban on transit of goods from Ukraine, Ukrainian ministry of economic development and trade said on Tuesday.
"Since our European trade partners may suffer in the first instance in case we introduce any restrictions on the transit from Russia, we need to make a joint assessment of any possible measures and consult our partners on the free trade zone with the EU," deputy minister Natalia Mikolskaya said.
"We will not leave Russia’s acts in respect of all restrictions unattended," Mikolskaya said. The Ukrainian side will also approach the World Trade Organization (WTO) in respect of this problem, she added. "We are constantly working with the business on the launch of an alternative transit to third countries," Mikolskaya said.
On January 1 Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on measures to ensure Russia’s economic security and national interests during the transportation of goods from Ukraine to Kazakhstan through Russian territory. "International transit road and rail transportation of goods from Ukraine’s territory to Kazakhstan via Russian territory is carried out only from the territory of Belarus on condition that means of identification, including those based on the technology of the GLONASS global navigation satellite system, are applied to the cargo spaces of means of transportation and railway rolling stock, premises, storage reservoirs and other places where the goods may be," the decree said.
The Russian Government also published the list of five checkpoints used for motor and rail carriage of goods from Ukraine to Kazakhstan via Russia.