Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have agreed to intensify negotiations on Kyrgyzstan's joining to the Customs Union (CU) and the Eurasian Economic Union.

The agreement was reached by Kyrgyz Prime Minister Djoomart Otorbayev and his Kazakh counterpart Karim Massimov during Massimov's working visit to Kyrgyzstan on July 12.

During the meeting, Kazakhstan agreed to assist Kyrgyzstan in implementing a road map on accession to the CU. The both sides expressed interest in deepening trade and economic cooperation as well.

The top officials also discussed export of oil and petroleum products to Kyrgyzstan, acceleration of establishment of Kyrgyz-Kazakh private equity fund and export of Kyrgyz dairy and meat products to Kazakhstan.

The sides also mulled cooperation in the field of energy, irrigation water supply, as well as resolving disputes between the economic entities of both countries.

Otorbaev and Massimov discussed the organization of summer tourist season at the Issyk-Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan. In particular, the parties paid special attention to the operation of checkpoints on the Kyrgyz-Kazakh state border and the improvement of their infrastructures.

"We have supported our tour operators to bring Kazakh tourists here. It is in the interest of our people and your business," Massimov said.

Kazakhstan is the third major trading partners of Kyrgyzstan in terms of trade turnover.

The trade turnover between the two countries hit $185.5 million in January-March 2014, including $66.9 million of Kyrgyz export and $118.6 million of Kyrgyz import.

Earlier Otorbayev said Kyrgyzstan is planning to become a full-fledged member of the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia by the end of this year.

"We will strive to fulfill all our obligations within the road map," he said, adding that the document assumes completion of all preparatory activities by Kyrgyzstan until the end of 2014.

The Customs Union was established in 2010. The purpose of the organization is to form a single customs territory within which no customs duties or economic restrictions are applied. The Single Economic Space of the Customs Union started operating on January 1, 2012.