Ukraine PM asks Customs Union for just trade policy, blames local firms

Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov called upon Customs Union countries to justly apply trade rules based on the regulations of the World Trade Organization and the acting free trade agreement of the Commonwealth of Independent States. “Creating hurdles, cordoning off with barriers is a dead end in bilateral cooperation. For any countries,” Azarov told his Cabinet of Ministers on August 21. “The Customs Union and its new rules are a reality,” he said. “There won’t be any favorable regimes, which we aren’t demanding.”

At the same Cabinet meeting, Azarov said Ukraine’s customs trouble are a result of enterprises not reacting to warnings from Russians customs about possible changes in the trade regime. “For a month and a half, Russian customs gave out so-called risk profiles on certain types of goods that raised certain concerns,” he said. “Unfortunately, a portion of Ukrainian companies-exporters didn’t pay the necessary attention to the intensified demands of Russian customs.”

Zenon Zawada: Azarov’s response is weak, to say the least, which will only encourage the Russian government. Which such leadership, the trade conflict is bound to develop further. The Itar-Tass news agency interviewed a Russian customs official who stated the Russian Customs Service is continuing to apply additional controls on the Ukrainian border.