On the eve of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) anniversary summit, which will be celebrated in May in Nur-Sultan, a conflict is brewing between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Bishkek intends to recall the ministers of the board of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) for consultations on the situation on the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border, where more than 250 trucks with Kyrgyz goods are stuck.
Kazakhstan blocks Kyrgyz cargo again. A similar situation occurred in the autumn of 2017, when Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev made a number of harsh statements against Astana and leader Nursultan Nazarbayev, accusing him of interfering in the internal affairs of Kyrgyzstan. In response, Kazakhstan closed the border. The current situation is not political. The Kazakh side indicates that vehicles are stuck on the Kyrgyz-Kazakhstan border because carriers didn't want to undergo an additional security check.
According to Kyrgyzstan's State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance, the following documents are checked and scanned at the border: international consignment note, shipping document, invoice, vehicle registration certificate, border pass coupon. "Such actions are the implementation of hidden customs control, which is fundamentally contrary to the EEU rules, as well as violates the provisions of Article 25 of the EEU Treaty in terms of ensuring free movement of goods in the internal EEU market," the Kyrgyz Economy Ministry's statement reads.
According to the ministry, control over vehicles with consumer goods has been strengthened since March 19 at the Kyrgyz-Kazakh sections of the state border. Each vehicle transporting goods is subject to thorough inspection, therefore, the border crossing time is significantly increased. "In the current situation, Kyrgyzstan believes that the additional control measures conducted by the Kazakh side violate the EEU law and limit free movement of goods - the basic principles of the EEU market. At the same time, it should be noted that such measures entail financial costs for Kyrgyzstan, associated with increased downtime, as well as negative consequences associated with the failure to fulfill obligations to counterparties on the delivery of goods, which will cause a decline in the country's economic activity as a whole," the report says.
Kyrgyz politician and public figure Toktaim Umetaliyeva visited the Kyrgyz-Kazakhstan border in the area of the Ak-Tilek Avtodorozny checkpoint. In the commentary to Vestnik Kavkaza, she confirmed that there are mile long lines of heavy trucks with perishable goods here. "This is a deliberate blow to small and medium-sized businesses in Kyrgyzstan, the segment which has no Kazakh investments. This is not the first time when the borders were closed, artificial barriers were created or inspections of our citizens were strengthened. This is due to corruption in the relevant ministries and departments of Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz side's incompetence. In particular, the agreements signed within the framework of the EEU are not a decree, but formal solutions for Kazakhstan’s colleagues. There should be equal conditions and opportunities in the EEU for all entrepreneurs of the countries of this integration association," Umetalieva stressed. Kyrgyzstan, for its part, accepting wholesale codes and other regulations with gross violations of technical regulations and the road map, gives grounds for not being considered. A Kyrgyz politician also pointed out that random people who have no proper education and work experience take positions of responsibility. They get portfolios with the means of "sponsorship and matchmaking". “What kind of cooperation can there be? The issue needs to be solved at the level of presidents. This situation should be resolved by the carriers themselves. The situation at the border is an indicator of the current government's powerlessness and the stagnation of the EEU,” Toktaiym Umetalieva concluded.
According to the researcher at the Center for the Study of Central Asia, candidate of historical sciences Alexander Vorobyov, the Kazakh side's actions look like going beyond the framework of agreements on the free movement of goods and services established by the EEU agreement. “However, Nur-Sultan has arguments in this regard. According to them, Bishkek is not properly fulfilling its obligations to control the quality of imported products and the consistency of cargo with the declared documents. The 'you can if you really want' behavior is no longer considered a bad tone within the framework of the EEU,” Alexander Vorobiev told Vestnik Kavkaza. According to him, both Russia and Belarus do this sometimes as well.
“Accusations against Bishkek are not unfounded. Kyrgyzstan has not fully completed its 'homework' to strengthen control over the documentation and the quality of imported goods, to strengthen control over smuggling flows through external customs borders. Nur-Sultan uses protective measures beyond what is needed - that is, for protectionist purposes, knowing that Bishkek - as a weaker member of the association - cannot adequately stand up for its rights," the expert noted.
In his opinion, the EEU is approaching the anniversary summit in a state of deep stagnation. The integration association has become really "bureaucratic", replacing the substantive work with the work on formalities. Indeed, breakthrough decisions within the EEU can be made only at the level of heads of state and only partly at the level of heads of government. The underlying reason for the stagnation of the EEU is that not one of its member countries, including Russia, is ready to seriously compromise its economic interests and sovereignty in favor of the development of an integration association. No serious effort - no development.
