Kyrgyzstan might join Customs Union in 2014

          Kyrgyzstan might join the Customs Union as early as 2014 provided Kyrgyzstan’s government completes the necessary procedures fast, Minister of Economy and Financial Policy of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Timur Suleimenov said at a briefing following the session of the advisory committee on tax policy and administration at the EEC Board. He noted that the country made it clear that it is very serious about its intentions to join the Customs Union when it submitted requests to the heads of the Customs Union member states. Timur Suleimenov stated that Kyrgyzstan will have a lot to do to harmonize its laws with the agreements and documents of the Troika. The country also needs to adjust its physical infrastructure, regulations and regimes to the requirements of the Customs Union and the Single Economic Space. “We need a step-by-step approach and this is what we do – we have a plan of Kyrgyzstan’s accession to the Customs Union. This plan spells out who will do what and how. The plan has recently been approved at a session of the commission and we are working to implement it. Now it depends on how fast Kyrgyzstan will make decisions,” Timur Suleimenov said.