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Russia to help Kyrgyzstan join Customs Union

Kyrgyzstan and Russia reached an agreement to develop a joint programme promoting the Central Asian republic’s accession to the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan

BISHKEK, February 12. /ITAR-TASS/. Kyrgyzstan and Russia reached an agreement to develop a joint programme promoting the Central Asian republic’s accession to the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Economy Minister Temir Sariyev said on Wednesday.

The agreement was reached at a meeting between Russian and Kyrgyz presidents Vladimir Putin and Almazbek Atambayev in Russia’s Winter Olympics host city, Sochi, on February 8.

“The heads of state agreed that soon the two countries would set up a working group chaired by the first deputy prime ministers to develop a programme helping Kyrgyzstan to join the Customs Union,” Sariyev said.

The Kyrgyz authorities decided to join the Customs Union in spring 2011. In six months the republic filed an official application to join the organisation.

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