Catherine Ashton: Customs Union can be a barrier on Minsk’s way to WTO

The European Union’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton expressed her concern about the planned enactment of the Customs Union between Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia.

Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs said the Customs Union could hinder the international trade and become an additional barrier for Astana, Minsk, and Moscow on their way to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Reuters informs.

“We have no questions to the customs unions as such, but we become concerned when they hinder trade rather than promoting it,” she said. “It looks like that particular union (between Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan) is of the latter kind.”

In late May 2010, Russia and Kazakhstan agreed to launch the Customs Code of the Customs Union on July 1, 2010 on a bilateral basis. Belarus confirmed its intention to ratify the customs code by July 1, 2010, and join the Union.

In June 2009, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin surprised the EU and USA by announcing that the head of governments of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan had taken a decision to inform the WTO about joining the organization as a whole customs area. Later, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia didn’t exclude joining the WTO on its own, but would agree upon the issue with the other Custom Union’s members. Russian deputy PM Igor Shuvalov said in April Russia would join the WTO not waiting for its Union’s partners. According to Shuvalov, Russia can enter the WTO by the end of 2010.