DUSHANBE, January 25, Asia-Plus – A session of the Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC) Interstate Committee opened in Moscow today.
The session is considering issues related to laying legal foundation of the Customs Union.
The source at president’s office said that Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov and Tajikistan’s representative to EAEC Fayzullo Kholboboyev are representing at the session, which is expected to consider 22 documents.
In the meantime, CA-News reports that Oqilov yesterday held a meeting with his Kyrgyz counterpart, Igor Chudinov, in Moscow to discuss cooperation issues.
Tajik prime minister, in particular, asked Kyrgyzstan to increase electricity supplies to Tajikistan during the winter months. According to Oqilov, because of unusually cold winter a critical power supply situation emerged in Tajikistan. “We have practically used up the Norak reservoir, and we have electrical power for 12 days,” Tajik PM said, adding that he is aware of the satiation at Kyrgyzstan’s Toktogul reservoir. “However, taking into the consideration the situation, I would ask you to increase a volume of electricity being supplied to Tajikistan,” Oqilov said. He reminded that under an agreement between the countries Kyrgyz city of Salyukta receives electricity from Tajik power systems. “In this connection, I ask you to increase the supply of daily electrical power at least to 50 megawatt.
In the meantime, the session in Moscow is considering the EAEC budget for 2008, a progress of work on preparation of rational use of water and energy resources in Central Asia, as well as principles of currency policy, use of customs maps and development of social sphere within the EAEC area, the source said.
We will recall Tajikistan formally takes over as the rotating chair of the Community this year, with Tajik President Rahmon serving as the chairman. This was announced at the EAEC summit that was held in Dushanbe last October. The summit adopted a document on budget policy, providing the basis for a proposed new customs union and supporting the planned formation of a single economic and transport space, as well as a common energy market. Representatives from Belarus, Kazakhstan and, and Russia signed a package of agreements on the formation of a customs union commission and establishing a common customs area.
The initial concept of the Eurasian Economic Community was first proposed in October 2000, as a successor to the CIS Customs Union, when Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan signed a treaty on broad economic and trade cooperation. The organization was formally created with the ratification of that treaty in May 2001. The initial five-member group was further expanded in May 2002, when Moldova and Ukraine were granted observer status, and again in April 2003, when Ukraine and Armenia gained observer status. In 2006, Uzbekistan joined the organization.
