VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
“In about a month, starting on January 1, 2012, the economies of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus will operate in the Common Economic Space. I’d like to emphasise in this regard that this integration association relies on the fundamental principles of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which are familiar and clear to our foreign business partners.”
“We have also agreed that Gazprom will acquire 100% interest in Beltransgaz, the Belarusian gas transportation system. This is a very important issue which will help normalise our relations with Belarus for years to come, and will also secure the unconditional transport of Russian energy supplies across Belarus to Western Europe.”
“The first, a perennial issue in our relations with our neighbours, has to do with energy supplies. <…> Belarus will receive a so-called integration discount for a few years and by 2014 will gradually start paying as much as our European customers minus export duties and the transportation cost. Today, Belarus is paying 244 dollars per 1,000 cubic metres of gas. We have reached an agreement with the Belarusian government, whereby we will restructure these payments next year, given the difficulties facing the Belarusian economy. Next year, with an average projected price of about 400 dollars for European consumers, Belarus will be paying us 164 dollars per 1,000 cubic metres.”
“The Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan was launched this year. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, everyone has been talking about integration. The CIS was functional and it carried out its role more or less, but true integration – I mean practical economic integration – has only just started now. <…> Integration processes are not imposed from the outside – they lie at the heart of the interests of our partners. We are led towards cooperation based on internal necessities. I must say that the leaders of both Kazakhstan and Belarus have done a great deal in helping us reach our current level of integration. Other countries have already voiced their readiness and desire to join in.”
“That the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space are open organisations, and we will welcome all neighbours and colleagues there. Many of them – particularly Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – are even now displaying interest in joining these organisations.”
“Of course, the mechanisms of the Common Economic Space will require further streamlining, and special attention will have to be paid here to the efficiency of supra-state bodies. I'm referring above all to the need to modernise the Customs Union Commission and to set up a standing board, as the scope of this body's responsibilities continues to expand. This will become a permanent body, to which our countries will assign certain powers in areas such as macroeconomics, tariff regulations, industrial subsidies and natural monopolies.”
“The formation of the common customs territory of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus was completed on July 1, 2011. The response of the economy has been positive, a fact that we have highlighted more than once. Our three-way trade grew by one-third, which is a good indicator. Work is also moving along on schedule with the upcoming launch of the Common Economic Space, which will become operational, as planned, on January 1, 2012.
“During the difficult time of the global economic downturn, the EurAsEC promptly worked out some effective instruments to respond to global economic risks and to protect the common economic interests and social welfare of our countries’ people. We have formed an anti-crisis fund, with part of its resources already allocated to support Belarus and Tajikistan.”
“Our countries continue to pursue similar development goals and it is crucial to find a source of growth all across the CIS. Integration is, without a doubt, a source of growth and it will help us take full advantage of such factors as the capacious market, the interconnection of our economies, and sustainable technological cooperation. What is a free trade zone? Let me explain it in a few words. This means that we will lift export and import duties for some groups of goods.”
“Long and, I should say, emotional but constructive talks unexpectedly brought us to the solution to a pivotal question. In fact, we gathered to find an answer to it – and we agreed to sign the treaty on the CIS free trade zone today. <…>I would like to add only that, as we all realise, the matter concerns the establishment of a new foundation for trade and economic relations in the Commonwealth of Independent States. This fundamental treaty will lie as the basis of our long-term trade and economic relations.”
“I am convinced that the establishment of the Eurasian Union and efficient integration are approaches that will enable members to take a prominent place in our complicated, 21st century world. Only by standing together will all our countries be able to take their places as leaders of global growth and drivers of progress, only together will they succeed and prosper.”
“Some of our neighbours explain their lack of interest in joining forward-looking integration projects in the post-Soviet space by saying that these projects contradict their pro-European stance. I believe that this is a false antithesis. We do not intend to cut ourselves off, nor do we plan to stand in opposition to anyone. The Eurasian Union will be based on universal integration principles as an essential part of Greater Europe united by shared values of freedom, democracy, and market laws.”
“Its natural resources, capital, and potent reserve of human resources will combine to put the Eurasian Union in a strong competitive position in the industry and technology race, in the struggle for investors, for the creation of new jobs and the establishment of cutting-edge facilities. Alongside other key players and regional structures, such as the European Union, the United States, China and APEC, the Eurasian Union will help ensure global sustainable development.”
“It is crucial that the Common Economic Space is rooted in coordinated action in key institutional areas such as: macroeconomics, ensuring competition, technical regulations, agricultural subsidies, transport, and natural monopolies tariffs. Later, this framework will also include common visa and migration policies, allowing border controls between our states to be lifted.”
“The Customs Union and CES are special in that they have supranational structures which will also be guided by the basic requirements to minimise bureaucracy and heed people’s actual interests.”
“The CIS experience enabled us to launch a many-tiered, multi-speed integration process in the post-Soviet space, and to set up much needed institutions such as the Union State of Russia and Belarus, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, the Eurasian Economic Community, the Customs Union and finally the Common Economic Space.”
“A crucial integration project, the Common Economic Space of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan (CES), will kick off on January 1, 2012. This project is, without exaggeration, a historic milestone for all three countries and for the broader post-Soviet space.”
“Trade is increasing in our single economic space as we go on refining the union’s legislative foundation. <…> Every question matters here as we fine tune every procedure with business and with the public. This is all the more important as we will make another step quite soon – a step toward the Single Economic Space.We need state-of-the-art technology for customs regulation – I mean an integrated information system for foreign and customs union trade.”
“We are willing to introduce the so-called integration coefficient – that is, decreasing coefficient for energy. This is direct assistance and support, though it isn’t a gift. This coefficient improves Russian businesses’ position in the Belarusian market, so they are willing to meet their Belarusian partners halfway. This position has been coordinated at the political level. The Russian government and president support it”.
“Our key task is to ensure high practical returns on the use of union budget money. I am referring above all to the implementation of joint programmes. I think that we should place more emphasis on projects involving innovation. <…> In the final analysis, the joint work of research, engineering centres and industrial enterprises will enable us to form a common scientific and technological space in the Union State, and that, as you know, is the key aim that we set ourselves in our joint work”.
“We intend to create a powerful association that can and must become a pillar of the global economy, and we are not exaggerating or getting on our high horses. It will indeed enable us to take part as equals in the industrial and technological process, to compete for investors, to create new, high-quality jobs. I am convinced that our countries have all that is needed for that.”
“As a troika, Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan can offer promising topics for further dialogue with the European Union and with individual countries and regional associations. Consultations are already underway on a free trade zone with the European Free Trade Association, and further down the road we plan to start negotiations on a free trade zone with the united Europe, with the EU.”
“In lifting the barriers within the Customs Union we will be careful to prevent any insurmountable barriers from being erected on the outer borders of the Customs Union. On the contrary, our main task is to ensure that by pooling their efforts all our countries would become integrated in the global economy more effectively and harmoniously – I stress, to become integrated with and not to fence itself off from the global economy.”
“This business forum of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan was timed to coincide with a momentous date – the formation of the common customs space, the common customs territory which was completed on July 1. Customs offices on the borders between our three states have been removed. This is not just a formal lifting of administrative procedures. For the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union the first real step has been made towards restoring the natural economic and trade ties in the post-Soviet space.”
“Today we have made an important step toward expanding our bilateral partnership: we signed the ambitious Russian-Ukrainian Economic Cooperation Programme for 2011-2020. We intend to base it on the most promising areas of cooperation. The implementation of these plans will not only strengthen long-standing trade and economic ties but also create new science-intensive high-tech industries.”
“Ukraine is one of Russia's principal trade partners in the CIS. Russian businesses are investing ever more in Ukrainian industries. I regard the increase of mutual investment as the key indicator of our joint achievements.”
“Russian and Ukrainian companies are carrying out joint high-tech projects in the nuclear power industry, aviation, shipbuilding, and space technology. Obviously, the implementation of such ambitious projects requires different systemic conditions. I’m convinced that Ukraine’s more active involvement in multilateral integration projects, primarily the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space, would create new opportunities for our business communities.”
“Our joint response to the crisis, including the establishment of the Anti-Crisis Fund, helped us stall the recession, bring down inflation, and head off a sharp decline in trade between our countries. We did not just promptly develop and implement collective response measures. We also reaffirmed our cohesion as an organisation and displayed a constructive approach based upon mutual responsibility. This only further testifies to EurAsEC’s potential, the importance of its integration resources for securing the interests of our national economies, and their fast and sustainable growth.”
“It is worth mentioning that the Customs Union has already brought about significant and tangible results. Mutual trade between Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia has almost doubled since the Customs Union came into full effect last year. The Common Economic Space, founded upon the three states I just mentioned, will be another important step towards promoting deeper integration. By July 1, we plan to ratify the package of documents necessary for its coming into effect in January 2012.”
“By 2012, we should create a common market with free movement of goods, services, capital and manpower. The common market will have uniform rules, unified legislation, coordinated tax, monetary and currency and financial policies, common principles that regulate natural monopolies, and a competition policy to ensure the equal, non-discriminatory access of the enterprises of the member states in the common economic space to the markets of goods and services and to state and municipal orders.”
“I have to stress that the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space (CES) are not an exclusive club. We are open to the accession of other countries, we are ready for closer cooperation with the European Union, including in the format of a constructive dialogue between the Common Economic Space and the EU.”
“You know about our project to build the Vostochny spaceport in Russia’s Far East. We could bring on Ukrainian specialists during the early stage of this project – they could take part in the construction of the spaceport. Most important, they should understand when spacecraft will be launched from it, what they will be like and where they will be produced.”
“We have a number of good, and interesting, projects planned in the investment field. I'll mention only one of those – the consolidation of the assets of two major car manufacturers: KamAZ and MAZ. The establishment of such a strategic alliance will naturally increase the competitiveness of Belarusian and Russian enterprises and create new stable, high-paying jobs. And this would, undoubtedly, be a significant step within the integration process relating to the real economy.”
“The establishment of the Customs Union should be backed by the active development of Russian-Belarusian trade and economic ties. In 2010, we saw an 18% increase in trade, and we will try to maintain this positive trend this year. Expanding industrial cooperation and creating favourable conditions for trade and interregional partnership have been a focus of our attention as well. We will also strive to encourage work in the high-tech sector, in the fuel and energy sector for instance. I am referring to our plans to build a nuclear power station in Belarus.”
“The establishment of the Customs Union promotes our membership in the WTO, believe me. There are several reasons for this. First, our colleagues see that though we are willing to join, we can also do without the WTO. They are also eager to see Russia among the countries that use the unified economic rules and interpret them similarly. So they have accelerated the process of admitting Russia. That is why the establishment of the Customs Union has accelerated, rather than hindered, our movement toward the WTO.”
“Last year, when we all were suffering from the crisis, Russia supported Armenia. On your request we drew up and issued 500 million dollars in a soft loan with a maturity of 15 years. Despite a certain overall decrease, this allowed us to shore up both our bilateral trade and Russia's investment in the Armenian economy, which amounts to between 2.8 billion to 3 billion. Not a single Russian company has withdrawn from Armenia's economy. This goes for Gazprom, INTER RAO UES, JSFC Sistema, VTB Bank and many other companies. In total, several thousand companies comprising Russian capital are operating in Armenia.”
“It is worth mentioning that these measures are the first actual integration efforts in 15 years. I’m referring to the establishment of the Customs Union between Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus and the next step which we are approaching – the establishment of a Common Economic Space. I would like to emphasise that this will mean a deep economic integration which will allow us to be more competitive. We will have a large market – 140 million in this country, 15 million in Kazakhstan plus 10 million in Belarus – look, this market can be compared to that of the European Union.”
“CES, similarly to the customs union before that, is being formed in a very short time, without exaggeration, in record time. Such a pace is made possible by the constructive spirit of all participants in this process, as well as a tremendous amount of work. I say this without exaggeration: the effort at the expert and industry levels was enormous. And I want to thank all the government officials for the contribution you have made to this major, very important process, a matter of strategic importance for our country.”
“Eurasian economic community is the undisputed leader of integration in the post-Soviet space. Over its 10-year history, EurAsEC has become a mature and influential regional organisation. Our five countries are successfully promoting joint social and economic initiatives. We also cooperate in the cultural sphere, increasing the tempo and improving the quality of our joint work. The Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan has grown into the community's centerpiece project. Since its launch, it has already brought tangible benefits to some enterprises and even entire industries, and has accelerated post-crisis economic recovery.”
“Ukraine is one of Russia's most important partners, not only in the CIS but in the entire world. Russian businesses are increasing investment. Russia comes second after Germany in terms of investments in the Ukrainian economy. We must keep up the pace of the progress we've made recently and maintain our competitive advantages in order to develop our own economies, solve social problems and operate effectively in the markets of other countries. We are determined to follow this road”.
“The main issue on the agenda is not even about the volume of our trade but a change in its quality. We must modernise our economies to create new high-paying jobs and we are fully capable of doing so.”
“But we should take the legitimate interests of our partners into account. I think we do. We reached agreement with our colleagues, including colleagues from Belarus, and signed a contract in 2007. And we are not asking for anything on top of that, beyond what the contract stipulates. The only thing we ask for is to observe the agreements we signed. Nothing else. Now when they tell us: allow us to pay less this year and double the amount the next, we agree. The next year they tell us: no, let is leave things as they were the year before last. Even in this case we try to reach a sort of consensus, to agree on some details, to ease the transition to market terms. And it seems to me the polemics, however sharp, between Belarusian and Russian energy experts has finally led to agreement.”
“Despite a decline in 2009, trade between our two countries has returned to pre-crisis levels. There has been progress in many sectors, particularly in high-tech industries such as aircraft manufacturing and space. We have seen good results in the An-70 aircraft project, which we also discussed in detail with Ukraine's previous government and president. But now we hope to start up joint work on the An-148 aircraft project, as well as on projects to build engines for other airplanes and helicopters. A large percentage of the Russian helicopter fleet is powered by Ukrainian-made engines. Our work together in space holds also great promise.”
“We should take the legitimate interests of our partners into account. I think we do. We reached agreement with our colleagues, including colleagues from Belarus, and signed a contract in 2007. And we are not asking for anything on top of that, beyond what the contract stipulates. The only thing we ask for is to observe the agreements we signed. Nothing else. Now when they tell us: allow us to pay less this year and double the amount the next, we agree. The next year they tell us: no, let is leave things as they were the year before last. Even in this case we try to reach a sort of consensus, to agree on some details, to ease the transition to market terms. And it seems to me the polemics, however sharp, between Belarusian and Russian energy experts has finally led to agreement.”
“We have reached a very high level of interstate contacts with the new president of Ukraine and with its government. We are removing the artificial barriers that previously hindered constructive cooperation, and in just a few months we have reached a high level of intergovernmental relations with the new president and government, and put together a substantial portfolio of joint projects, primarily in industries where Russian-Ukrainian cooperation brings our two countries tangible competitive advantages, in particular in aerospace, shipbuilding, energy and transport... Our companies share a lot already. They operated as part of one production chain over decades. And those links should be restored, including through the formation of integrated structures.”
“We know how much criticism the CIS receives, but I assure you, we would not have settled many economic and social problems if not for the Commonwealth. We don't even see that these problems have been settled. We take if for granted. The situation would be much worse without the CIS. Even Georgia retained 75 agreements after it announced that it was withdrawing from the CIS, because they were vitally important to the country. We see Georgia's point. More than that, we welcome it. So, I believe that the CIS is a necessary venue for coordinating economic, political and cultural issues, and will continue to be relevant”.
“In December 2011 we will mark the 20th anniversary of the CIS. We have come a long way since then, and managed to build a unique system for cooperation in many respects. It works in the interests of our nations' citizens, specific companies and businesses engaged in cooperative relations. And, of course, our dialogue allows us to resolve any problems that might arise in the spirit of openness and mutual trust, and to ensure stability in this vast region. Based on our experience, we should move forward and implement the plans formulated in the CIS Development Concept and the Economic Cooperation Strategy for the Period until 2020. Our success depends on us coordinating the efforts of all partners, their business attitude, and, of course, on their goodwill. I am convinced that we all share this approach”.
“...We are satisfied with the efficient, cooperative work that has been done to establish the Customs Union. The Customs Union is obviously outgrowing the purely economic format and is becoming a new geopolitical reality. One might say that the emerging common economic space is a key aspect of the integration processes in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Eurasian Economic Community. These developments are extremely beneficial for all participants because they create favourable conditions for rapid economic growth. As we see it, the Customs Union has gotten off to a good start. All of its central mechanisms are functioning normally. But, due to purely objective reasons, it is difficult to implement such an ambitious and complicated project on a tight schedule. Notably, we manage to find solutions and reach mutually acceptable agreements even in the most complicated situations”.
“I would like to emphasise once more that establishing a customs union and, subsequently, a common economic space for Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan is a conscious and principled decision. We will strive for a reasoned integration that is as close as possible. This will include not only a unified customs territory, but common capital and labour markets, a unified transport system and much, much more. I am convinced that the establishment of a common economic space will spur economic development in Russia in a significant way. It offers additional opportunities for both individuals and businesses. They will essentially be able to freely choose where it is most convenient for them work, to carry out their plans and projects, and this means that the government must make a more concerted effort to improve the investment climate. And I'm sure that such competition will be to our advantage”.
“The new obelisk on Poklonnaya Hill will be built with voluntary donations, and will become a tribute to the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War. We will always remember the great history our peoples went through together, and all stages of this history, no matter how complex they may be. Representatives of the Georgia public are here today at this ceremony. For us his is very important. It is important that we are together today, that our countries still have cultural, humanitarian and spiritual ties and that our peoples have good human relations, despite the vain attempts to make us quarrel with each other and forget the centuries-long history of honest and sincere friendship and fellowship. I believe that Russian-Georgian relations will begin a new chapter. We are ready to begin a conversation with all constructive political forces in Georgia that are willing to partner with Russia. And we will without a doubt rebuild this partnership.”
