By Vestnik Kavkaza
Ukraine will chair the Commonwealth of Independent States from January 1st, 2014.
This was decided in Minsk at the CIS summit, a month before Kiev’s rejection of signing the association agreement with the EU at the Vilnius summit of the Eastern Partnership. Victor Yanukovich’s decision pleased experts who speak about the EU’s intention to disintegrate the post-Soviet space and withdraw the CIS countries from Russia’s influence.
Nevertheless, Kiev plans to work actively in the CIS. In 2014 Ukraine will welcome the CIS summit (October), the CIS Council of Premiers (May), the Council of Foreign Ministers (October), and the Economic Board (September).
Valery Muntiyan, the governmental envoy on cooperation with Russia and the CIS countries, speaks about priorities of Kiev during its chairmanship in the Commonwealth.
“Even though the world financial and economic crisis continues, the CIS ends the year with GDP growth – about 1.7-1.8%. The priority will be fulfillment of items of the new agreement on free trade and following norms and principles of WTO, as well as activeness of cooperation with the EU, depending on various formats and the level of cooperation with the EU,” Muntoyan says.
According to him, basing on norms and principles of the WTO, it is necessary to develop mechanisms of solving disputable trade issues. Moreover, Kiev would like to sign several agreements:
“The first draft touches on the 7th article of the Agreement on free trade zone in the CIS, i.e. an access to pipeline transport. It is very important for Ukraine, as we will get a) diversification of sources of imported energy resources, b) an access to cheaper Central-Asian gas, c) the Russian Federation will give us an access to its pipeline system. And in general it will positively influence our economy. It is very important not only for us, but for all states of the Commonwealth.
The other draft is the agreement on free trade service zone. If it is signed, it will be beneficial for all participants of the CIS, especially Ukraine, as it will have 37% of all services,” Muntiyan hopes for this.
Ukraine steps into preparation and signing of the protocol on elimination of export duties. “The position is very important for us, when duties for raw oil, gas, oil products will be canceled,” Muntiyan says.
Kiev also believes that implementation of the second stage (by 2015) of the CIS economic development strategy to 2020 is significant. “The CIS developed the economic development strategy to 2020. It is an important document as it shows that the countries of the Commonwealth have future. The documents sets terms, arrangements, defines resources which are to be spent for achieving goals. In 2020 we should step into a new GDP level – 5% of the world GDP (today it is 3.6%), improve labor capacity and decrease energy intensity of our products by 70%. Therefore, according to the optimum alternative which is developed within the strategy (I headed the working group), all countries of the Commonwealth in the period plan to achieve innovative development ratios.”
