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Kyrgyz leader to meet Putin, discuss Customs Union prospects

"Expert consultations have been in process for already five days, technical points of the accession program are now being elaborated,” Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev says

Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev ITAR-TASS/Mikhail Klimentyev

Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev

© ITAR-TASS/Mikhail Klimentyev

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Kyrgyzstan’s accession to Customs Union is priority cooperation sphere — Medvedev

MOSCOW, May 07. /ITAR-TASS/. Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev arrived in Moscow on Wednesday to discuss with Vladimir Putin bilateral ties and Kyrgyzstan’s prospects as a potential member of the Customs Union, deputy head of Atambayev’s administration Sapar Isakov told ITAR-TASS.

The Kyrgyz leader “expects to discuss details of the republic’s accession to the Customs Union” (Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan), said Isakov. “Expert consultations have been in process for already five days, technical points of the accession program are now being elaborated.”

Bishkek requested Russia about the program as the Kyrgyz economy “is now going through a period of major transformation”.

“Now we are only fixing industrial facilities, and Russia’s help is essential,” said Isakov.

Atambayev is also going to discuss a number of individual projects like a railway Russia-Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan, planned to reach later as far as China. “Everything is ready to implement a technical feasibility study” of the project planned to be financed by Kazakhstan’s Eurasian Bank, and Isakov hopes “the leaders of member countries will support the initiative”.

Another issue of the two leaders’ talks is going to be the possibility of Rosneft’s buying a share in Manas International Airport in Bishkek. According to Isakov, Kyrgyzstan is also keen to resolve the issues on the agenda of the informal meeting among the leaders of Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on May 8. The issues Isakov mentioned are the need for tougher measures against drug trafficking and web crimes, stronger borders, increased battle efficiency of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) units, as well as coordination of the member countries’ foreign policies.

Putin’s separate meetings with some of the leaders are also on schedule.

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