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Kyrgyzstan’s treaty to join Customs Union, Common Economic Space to be signed December 23

A roadmap plan for integration approved by all interested parties says Kyrgyzstan will officially join the Eurasian Economic Union by January 1, 2015

MOSCOW, December 1. /TASS/. Kyrgyzstan is planning to sign treaties on the republic’s accession to the Moscow-led Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan and a wider planned Common Economic Space at a summit of the Eurasian Economic Union on December 23, Prime Minister Joomart Otorbayev said on Monday.

“Everything proceeds according to our plans. We will sign the treaty on accession (to the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space) and relevant documents at a summit on December 23, confirming implementation of roadmap plans,” Otorbayev said at a meeting with Russia’s parliamentary upper house Speaker Valentina Matviyenko.

Matviyenko said the Russian side was ready “to extend full cooperation to Kyrgyzstan’s early accession to the Customs Union and the Eurasian Economic Union,” noting that the move was seen as mutually beneficial for both Russia and Kyrgyzstan.

Kyrgyz authorities decided to join the Customs Union in the spring of 2011. Six months later, the former Soviet republic filed an official request for accession. Its government is currently aligning legislation with that of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space. A roadmap plan for integration approved by all interested parties says Kyrgyzstan will join by January 1, 2015.

The Eurasian Economic Union, which envisages the free movement of goods, services, capital and workforce and is based on the Customs Union, will also become operational from January next year. Membership is open to other states assessed as sharing the assembly's aims and principles, its founders say.