Dariga Nazarbayeva: Kazakh businesses face undue restrictions when conducting trade within EAEU

Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, Defense and Security Mukhtar Kul-Mukhammed, Secretary of the Committee on Economic Policy, Innovative Development and Entrepreneurship Dauren Adilbekov, head of the Secretariat of the Chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission Board Vladimir Zinovsky, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Marat Syzdykov have been present.

In her welcoming speech, Dariga Nazarbayev has congratulated Mikhail Myasnikovich on her appointment as Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission and wished successful and fruitful work.

The meeting has touched upon problematic issues of ensuring the fulfillment of agreements within the framework of the EAEU by the participating states, as well as the existing barriers faced by Kazakh businesses in conducting trade with the countries of the Eurasian Union.

The Speaker of the Upper House of Parliament has pointed out that it is necessary to systematically remove barriers within the framework of the functioning of the EAEU domestic market.

“Despite the ongoing work, obstacles and barriers do not decrease, but rather increase. To date, the register of obstacles for the negotiation contains 66 items, which used to be 60 in due time. Instead of lowering this indicator, we are increasing it every year, creating more and more barriers, or delaying their elimination,” she said.

Among the main difficulties that Kazakh businesses have to deal with are access to the Russian market, bans or restrictions on the transit of a number of goods produced in Kazakhstan, non-observance of the electronic declaration principle, barriers that are “camouflaged” under technical regulation, when different requirements are applied when importing certain groups of goods.

Chairman of the EAEU Board has discussed the situation with the Armenian cars in Kazakhstan.

“I believe that the procedures were not completely followed. Armenia had a preferential regime for the import of cars by individuals within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union. From January 1, this benefit has been removed. But there were cars that are in the border zone, or on the road,” he said.

Mikhail Myasnikovich has also drawn attention to the fact that about 25 agreements and treaties that were signed in the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union have not yet been ratified. He also noted that in order to resolve economic disputes, the EAEU should have the right to go to court to make appropriate decisions and the creation of the EAEU arbitration is necessary.

Dariga Nazarbayeva has supported the initiative, noting that the decision-making procedure is now very bureaucratic and time-consuming.

In addition, the Head of the Senate has made a separate emphasis on the existing problems with the crossing by Kazakh drivers of heavy cargoes of the Belarusian-Russian border.

“This is due to the absence of an international checkpoint on this border, which is due to the action of the Union’s state, but only citizens of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus can cross the border. Today, the pass of Kazakh drivers is temporarily allowed, but not formally regulated,” the Senate Speaker has said.