OREANDA-NEWS. June 10, 2009. The creation of the united customs space of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan will be the beginning of the recovery from the global crisis and will have good prospects, said President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko as he met with Kazakhstan Prime Minister Karim Masimov on June 10.

“I believe some breakthrough was achieved in Moscow yesterday,” said Alexander Lukashenko. “If we create the united customs space, we will have a common space from the Belarusian-Polish border to the Chinese-Kazakh one without restrictive measures. If there are any limitations, we will be able to come to terms once and for all”. He also added that many similar breakthroughs had been secured of late and “good endeavours that ended not so well”.

Speaking about Kazakhstan, the President underscored it is a very promising republic that Belarus takes interest in. Belarus and Kazakhstan have complementary economies. Yet the bilateral trade level is insufficient. Last year Belarus-Kazakhstan trade totalled \\$537 million.

Alexander Lukashenko said he hoped the present visit of the Kazakhstan Prime Minister will help expand the cooperation, securing a breakthrough in the trade and economic relations. “Kazakhstan is not an alien country for us. We have absolutely no avoided topics for negotiations and cooperation. In relations with Kazakhstan we are ready to go as far as it is acceptable for you,” noted the Belarusian head of state.

The President underscored he closely monitors the development of cooperation with Kazakhstan. He has good relations with Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev. “We can resolve virtually any issue at any time,” remarked Alexander Lukashenko. He also said that in the near future the staff of the Embassy of Belarus in Kazakhstan will be enhanced in order to more effectively implement decisions of the governments and the presidents.

In turn, the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan remarked that Belarus is a brotherly nation and that the Kazakh side will try to do its best to expand the trade and economic relations. In his words, Kazakhstan is interested in purchasing Belarusian machines as well as starting up enterprises to manufacture refrigerators.

Speaking about the session of the EurAsEC Interstate State Council held the previous day, Karim Masimov underscored that the negotiations had not been simple but rather productive. “We’ve come to terms at the level of the governments. Now the heads of state will have to make their decisions. It is very advantageous for everyone on the global scale,” he said. The Customs Union of the three countries is supposed to be set up by July 1, 2011. Kazakhstan needs to harmonise some matters with the Russian Federation, added Karim Masimov.