Regional Trade Agreements in the ECE

TURKMENISTAN RETURNS TO THE STAGE IN HOSTING CIS SUMMIT

On 22 November 2007 the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat hosted a meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States for the first time in nearly 15 years. The big topic on the agenda is harmonizing customs' procedures to allow the sharing of electricity and the transportation of goods within the CIS. The President of Turkmenistan, Mr. Berdymukhammedov said recently that Turkmenistan has no plans to stray from its UN-recognized status as a neutral country, which could be interpreted as saying that Turkmenistan will have better cooperation with the CIS and some of its institutions but is not quite ready for full membership.

CIS SUMMIT IN MINSK DISCUSSES CIS REFORM BUT DEFERS DECISION

Eleven presidents participated in a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Minsk on November 28, Belarusian and international media reported. Turkmenistan, whose President Saparmurat Niyazov routinely ignores such gatherings, was represented in Minsk by a deputy prime minister. "The main achievement of the organization is that it promotes cooperation," Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka said while opening the meeting. But he also admitted that "actions often lag behind decisions" within the CIS. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev told journalists after the summit that CIS leaders discussed a report on reforming the CIS and ordered their foreign ministers to submit specific reform proposals by June 1, 2007. CIS Executive Secretary Vladimir Rushailo said at the same news conference that a "lack of consensus" prevented CIS leaders from issuing a declaration to precede an accord on the definitive demarcation of borders between CIS member states.

CIS Minsk Summit Postponed

Minsk Summit of the CIS state heads scheduled for October 17 has been postponed. A diplomatic source told APA that the Summit will take place in November. The meeting of CIS Foreign Ministers Council will be held on October 16 as planned.

Ukraine Mulls Leaving CIS

Ukrainian presidential adviser Kostyantyn Tymoshenko told journalists in Kyiv on May 5 that the Presidential Secretariat is considering Ukraine's withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), UNIAN reported. Tymoshenko added that the issue is "not very pressing on the  agenda." The previous day, Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Anatoliy Kinakh noted that the CIS "has virtually lost its economic sense," according to Interfax-Ukraine. "Hundreds of documents have been adopted within the CIS framework that are not being implemented. In particular, the procedure for forming a free-trade zone has not yet been finished, and the agreement that was signed 10 years ago [on a free-trade zone] has not yet been ratified by the Russian State Duma," Kinakh added.

Uzbekistan to Join Eurasian Economic Community on January

Uzbekistan will be accepted to the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) on 25 January, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry told Interfax.

The report said Uzbekistan would join the organization during the summit of the EurAsEC heads of state in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) is an economic union to form single customers border in territory of member-states. The community includes Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Earlier, Belarusian President and chairman of the EurAsEC Alexander Lukashanko said that Saint Petersburg summit of the EurAsEC leaders would consider application of Uzbekistan.

"Uzbekistan's step toward joining EurAsEC says a lot - primarily that the organisation must by no means be discarded," President Lukashenko said at a meeting on 20 December 2005 with EurAsEC Secretary General Grigory Rapota.

CIS SUMMIT IN KAZAN - 26 AUGUST

Vladimir Zharikhin, deputy director of the CIS Institute, said on 25 August that that the CIS summit in Kazan should take steps to radically reform the organization, adding that any member states that want to leave the commonwealth should do so.

President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov arrived in Kazan on 26 August to participate in the Tatarstan capital's millennium celebrations, RTR, atar.ru, and other Russian media reported. Putin was to preside over a State council meeting devoted to interethnic relations in Russia and to take part in a summit of CIS leaders that is to examine ways to reform the organization, RIA-Novosti and polit.ru reported. On 27 August, Putin is to attend a summit of the four members of the Single Economic Space (SES) -- Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. He is also expected to meet separately with several leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), including Ukrainian President Viktor
Yushchenko, RIA-Novosti reported. VY

Vladimir Zharikhin, deputy director of the CIS Institute, said on 25 August that that the CIS summit in Kazan should take steps to radically reform the organization, adding that any member states that want to leave the commonwealth should do so, TV-Tsentr reported.  Zharikhin noted that President Putin said in March that that the CIS was created in an effort to facilitate a "civilized divorce" following the fall of the Soviet Union (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 4 April 2005). "There are children under this divorce -- the independent states -- and now they are grown and some want to go their own way," Zharikhin said, adding that it is time for Russia to stop paying alimony in the form of cheap energy. Zharikhin also said that CIS member states who want to join NATO and the European Union should be allowed to do so, but they should not expect to benefit from preferred trade status with Russia. However, he added, "I am afraid that nothing like that will happen in Kazan, and the CIS will continue on its current course upon their return." VY xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
               Copyright (c) 2005 RFE/RL, Inc.
                     All rights reserved.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Building trade partnerships in the CIS region

This paper reviews the current status of trade integration in the CIS, giving details of trade flows and tariff and non-tariff barriers. It also covers other aspects of these FTAs, in particular, technical regulations and standards, rules of origin and commercial dispute settlement. Efforts towards regional integration among the countries of the former Soviet Union began almost at the moment the Federation disintegrated. The countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have since then concluded several agreements, mainly in the form of free trade agreements (FTAs) and customs unions (CUs) at bilateral and plurilateral levels. These agreements have secured a number of important objectives, including, in particular, the successful removal of tariff barriers among many of the most important trading partners.  

English: http://www.unece.org/trade/ctied/ctied9/trd_05_17e.pdf

French: http://www.unece.org/trade/ctied/ctied9/trd_05_17f.pdf

Russian: http://www.unece.org/trade/ctied/ctied9/trd_05_17r.pdf

''Regional Cooperation in Central Asia''

This paper descibes the trace evolution of the key regional groupings and considers their aims and objectives.

''Regional Cooperation in Central Asia''read:http://www.nato.int/docu/colloq/2001/2001-17e.pdf

CIS Summit, 16 September 2004

CIS SUMMIT FOCUSES ON FIGHT AGAINST TERROR... A summit of CIS leaders took place in Astana on 16 September with a focus on antiterrorism efforts in the wake of recent attacks in Russia, news agencies
reported. "The terrorists who have committed crimes against the Russian Federation present an extremely serious danger to all countries of the world without exception," read a joint statement
cited by regnum.ru. "The heads of the CIS member states express their full solidarity with the Russian Federation in its battle against terrorism." The leaders agreed to step up the activities of the CIS Antiterrorism Center, Kazinform reported....... The summit, which was attended by all CIS leaders except Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin and Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov, selected
Putin to replace Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma as CIS chairman. The next summit will take place in Minsk, Belarus in September 2005. DK

...AS KAZAKH PRESIDENT ADVANCES REFORM PROPOSALS... Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev proposed a far-reaching reform of the CIS at the leaders' summit on 16 September, Interfax-Kazakhstan reported. He suggested putting the Council of CIS Foreign Ministers in charge of a special Security Council and delegating executive-organ functions to the CIS Antiterrorism Center and Executive Committee, Kazinform reported. Nazarbaev also urged the elimination of duplicate functions by abolishing the council of defense ministers, the headquarters to coordinate military cooperation, the economic court, and the interstate statistics committee. The CIS Executive Committee's staff should be reduced from 220 to 140 people, he said. Nazarbaev said CIS foreign ministers will review his proposals over the next year. Armenian President Robert Kocharian told the press conference after
the summit that "the main reform of the CIS should be to ensure that the decisions that it makes are carried out," RIA-Novosti reported.
DK

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Copyright (c) 2004 RFE/RL, Inc.
All rights reserved.

"The Economic Court of the CIS"

This article aims at explaining why the Economic Court of the CIS is not functionning properly. The author focuses on the structure and the competence of this dispute settlement body, and suggests improvements and reforms.

read: "The Economic Court of the Commonwealth of Independent States"

"Recent Policies and Performances in the Low Income CIS-7 Countries, an update to the CIS –7 Initiative"

This paper is the second report to the Executive Boards since the launch of the CIS-7 Initiative in April 2002. This paper presents a review of recent trends and developments in the seven low-income countries of the CIS, with a special focus on growth and poverty, external debt and fiscal sustainability, governance and the business climate, and regional cooperation. - April 2004 -

read: "Recent Policies and Performances in the Low Income CIS-7 Countries, an update to the CIS –7 Initiative"

"From the CIS to the SES, A New Integrationist Game in Post-Soviet Space"

This article focuses on the different interest of the parties to the CIS and the new-born SES, and on the various conceptions of integrationism adopted by these countries.

read: "From the CIS to the SES, A New Integrationist Game in Post-Soviet Space"

"The Dark side of Integration : Ambitions of Domination in Russia’s Backyard"

This article reviews the impediments to the development of a sustainable integration process within the CIS region, and focuses on the role of Russia and Russia's external relations in that regard. - Spring 2004 -

read: "The Dark side of Integration : Ambitions of Domination in Russia’s Backyard"

"Report on the Progress Under the CIS-7 Initiative"

This report summarizes progress achieved after 1 year under the CIS-7 Initiative, launched in April 2002 by the IMF and the WB, and aiming at drawing attention to the plight of the seven low income CIS countries facing a very difficul transition period. - April 2003 -

read: "Report on the Progress Under the CIS-7 Initiative"

"Central Asia since 1991: The experience of the New Independent States"

This paper takes the countries of the NIS as an example for observing the transition process. The five countries in question present an additional interest in that they have each chosen a different path towards development and towards transition, particularly in their political regimes. OECD Development Center Technical Paper 212 - July 2003

read: "Central Asia since 1991: The experience of the New Independent States"

"Regional Trade Arrangements and Economies in Transition : The Central Asian Countries Union"

This paper written by Richard Pomfret analyses the progress of the reintegration of the formerly centrally planned economies into the global trading system, focusing on the relationship between multilateral processes and regional integration schemes, and taking the Central Asian Countries as a case study. - December 2000 -

read: "Regional Trade Arrangements and Economies in Transition : The Central Asian Countries Union"

"Changing Trade Patterns after Conflict Resolution in South Caucasus"

This study, led by Evgeny Polyakov examines the likely short-term impacts of the resolution of Nagorny Karabakh and other regional conflicts, and the consequences of lifting the associated economic blockade on the international trade in the South Caucasus region, with concentration on Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. World Bank Document - 2000 -

read: "Changing Trade Patterns after Conflict Resolution in South Caucasus"

"Transport And Trade Facilitation Issues in The CIS-7, Kazakhstan And Turkmenistan"

This paper covers Trade and Transport Facilitation (TTF) issues in the CIS 7, as well as
a part of the Central Asia region who plays a critical role in facilitation solutions. These countries share similar constraints of international trade and transport, and their foreign trade is characterized by distant export markets dominated by few commodities. - January 2003 -

read: "Transport And Trade Facilitation Issues in The CIS-7, Kazakhstan And Turkmenistan"

"How deep is your trade?"

This paper investigates the extent of integration of the transition economies into the world economy.
It finds that SEE and the CIS trade significantly less with the world economy than the accession countries, and uses a gravity model to explain why. ERBD Working Paper 83 - November 2003 -

read: "How deep is your trade? Transition and International Integration in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union"

"Of Openness and Distance : Trade Developments in the Commonwealth of the Independent States, 1993-2002"

This study published by Katrin Elborgh-Woytek analyzes developments in the structure of trade in the CIS during the transition decade, and finds that it changed less than in other transition economies. Regression results show that trade openness of the CIS countries would likely increase substantially if market-oriented reforms were pursued more vigorously. IMF Working Paper - October 2003 -

read: "Of Openness and Distance : Trade Developments in the CIS, 1993-2002"

"Integration, Disintegration and Trade in Europe: Evolution of Trade Relations During the 1990s"

In this study, Jan Fidrmuc and Jarko Fidrmuc investigate the effects of integration and disintegration in Europe on trade in the course of the 1990s. The analysis utilizes the gravity model of trade.
Oesterreichische Nationalbank Working Paper- June 2000-

read: "Integration, Disintegration and Trade in Europe: Evolution of Trade Relations During the 1990s"

"Payments and Finance Problems in the CIS"

Payment problems constrain trade between the members of the Commonwealth of the Independent States. In this article published in April 1996, Constantine Michalopoulos proposes stabilization measures in order to improve the propects of convertibility among CIS member countries, and stronger institutionnal arrangements. -WB Policy Research Working Paper-

read:"Payments and Finance Problems in the Commonwealth of the Independent States"

"FDI and the Investment Climate in the CIS Countries"

This paper, written by Clinton R. Shiells, examines the capital flows in the CIS region, and investigates the major impediments to a more favorable investment climate.

read: "FDI and the Investment Climate in the CIS Countries"

"The Economics Of Customs Unions in the CIS"

This paper, written by Constantine Michalopoulos and David Tarr in April 1997 gives an overview of the economic consequences of the establishment of a Custom union between Belarus, Kazakstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Russia, given the fact that an FTA has already been created in the CIS region.

read:"The Economic Of Customs Unions in the Commonwealth of Independent States"

"Disintegration"

Simeon Djankov and Caroline Freund published in December 1999 this article entitled "Disintegration", giving an assessment of the effects of trade barriers and the persistence of past linkages on trade flows in the Former Soviet Union, using a gravity model that includes fourteen of these republics.

read:"Disintegration"

"The Limits of Diversity in the Post Soviet Space: CIS & GUUAM"

The following is a link to a study by Dr. P.C. Latawski on "The Limits of Diversity in a Post-Soviet Space"

read: "The limits of Diversity in the Post Soviet Space: CIS and GUUAM"