Subject of the briefing: Results of the talks between the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the European Union.
Excerpts from the transcript:
Igor Shuvalov: The talks between the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the European Union ended in Brussels on 21 December. The talks, which lasted for more than a year and a half, were initiated by Russia after Ukraine signed the Association Agreement with the European Union.
Even before the signing of this agreement, we had repeatedly expressed our concern to the EU and Ukraine that its implementation would significantly hurt Russia’s economic interests. This means that under the terms of Russia’s WTO entry, and in accordance with the EAEU common customs tariff, many goods may enter our customs territory in circumvention of these rules at zero or reduced duties via Ukrainian territory.
Seven rounds of consultations took place at the level of our Economic Development Minister, an EU trade representative and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister.
The Russian Federation suggested four versions of legally binding documents. We have never proposed amendments to the basic EU-Ukraine agreement but merely offered additional agreements on the issues that protect our market and allow for the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.
We have not received a positive answer to our proposals.
We tried to find a way out of this predicament. In doing so, we protected the economic interests of the Russian Federation without preventing Ukraine from carrying out its agreement with the EU.
We are ready to continue taking part in the talks and searching for compromises and solutions. That said, the Government is getting ready for changes in line with the President’s decision: starting 1 January 2016, all commodities originating in Ukraine will be subject to duties under the common customs tariff when crossing the Russian border.
A preliminary mechanism has been introduced to regulate the transit of Ukrainian goods or EU goods passing via Ukrainian territory to Belarus and Kazakhstan. This mechanism will allow us to monitor all escorted flows of cargo from Ukraine via Belarus or the Russian Federation to Kazakhstan. We plan to complete our work on this mechanism before the end of the year and endorse it by a Government resolution and relevant decisions adopted with our partners from Belarus and Kazakhstan.
