Custom Union countries yet to agree on customs duties

Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan have not yet agreed on how to distribute duties in the custom union of the three states, Russia's first vice prime miniser Igor Shuvalov said at a meeting of the Russian government on October 19. "Our common position that a special working group will carry out work in the first half of 2010, and we will have to agree on the procedures how to calculate those duties not later than June 1, 2010", BELTA new agency quoted Igor Shuvalov as saying.

The Russian official said that a working group to analyze the operation of the external framework of the Customs Union will be set up by the commission of the Customs Union on October 21 in Moscow.

He added that final touches are required now to approve the Code of the Customs Union. This document was earlier agreed at the level of intergovernmental procedures. It is now required to get approvals at the national levels.