Lukashenko: Difficulties are waiting for a single economic space

The Unified Economic Space of Belarus of Kazakhstan and Russia, which will begin to operate since 2012, cannot be avoided by open competition and opposition, said President of Belarusian Alexander Lukashenko.

“In connection with the advent of EEP, colossal capabilities appear. Of course, there will be difficulties, difficulties. Criticism cannot be avoided, it has already appeared, not to avoid open competition and counteraction,” Lukashenko said on Tuesday, meeting in Minsk with the chairman of the Mazhilis of Kazakhstan, to the Urals Mukhamedzhanov.

“But we are determined to go through this path with dignity. We see a certain benefit if the EEP develops on an equal basis,” Lukashenko emphasized.

According to the Belarusian leader, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan today are the closest states in the world, since they "decided to challenge the time and create a strong economic integration structure," Lukashenko said.

“We began the implementation of the ideas of the Customs Union. We have not just approached the creation of a single economic space, and two months later we will really exist in the EEP,” the Belarusian president predicts, noting that “the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev played a very large role.”

Recall that Belarus is interested inthe import of Kazakhstani oil , and Alexander Lukashenko hopes that within the framework of the EEP, it will be possible to coordinate transport policy in this area with Russia.

For his part, the President of Kazakhstan Nazarbayev announced the readiness of his country to participate in the privatization of Belarusian enterprises. "Kazakhstan is ready to participate in privatization programs in Belarus. We are interested in mechanical engineering, petrochemical complex, agriculture," he noted.

The idea of ​​a single economic space, according to the President of Belarus, was first expressed by the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin in his kitchen in the presence of the then President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev.

According to Lukashenko, Putin is the initiator of the idea of ​​creating a single economic space: "In fact, Putin’s kitchen, the living room, I remember, there was a kitchen nearby, we were four of us. And then he first expressed the idea of ​​a single economic space."

Belarus for a long time pulled with the signing of the EEP agreement, demanding the abolition of duties on export Russian oil. Russia delivered 22.5 million tons of oil per year to Belarus, and 6.3 million of them - duty -free for its own consumption. Since 2011, oil supplies have become duty -free, but the export duty has been levied from oil products developed from Russian oil when they export them outside the Customs Union.