By empty (7/28/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)
Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Khristenko said that experts are expected to finish drafting all documents on the establishment of a common economic space in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine by the CIS summit in September. \"There are still a lot of different opinions, approaches and disagreement. But everyone today has a similar vision of the structure of this single economic space,\" Khristenko said at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Khristenko said that experts are expected to finish drafting all documents on the establishment of a common economic space in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine by the CIS summit in September. \"There are still a lot of different opinions, approaches and disagreement. But everyone today has a similar vision of the structure of this single economic space,\" Khristenko said at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Friday. The deputy prime minister noted that experts \"have agreed that integration within the single economic space will proceed at various levels and its pace will differ [for the four countries]. This will make it possible to avoid any inconsistencies with certain elements in the four nations\' internal policy,\" he added. Khristenko said that the main goal of the single economic space, with which all its member nations agree, is \"to ensure the free movement of goods, services, the workforce and capital.\" He noted that these processes will \"follow a single procedure and be coordinated by a single national body.\" He added that \"we have no intention of creating a stillborn non-national body before the legal framework needed for its functioning is available.\" Khristenko said that \"it is necessary to sign about 50 treaties and agreements in order to implement certain decisions.\" \"We are already negotiating the wording of the agreements and legislation,\" he added. (Interfax)