OREANDA-NEWS. March 20, 2013. Moscow (Russia) hosted the 57-th sitting of the CIS Economic Council. Ukraine for this event was represented by Minister of Economic Development and Trade Ihor Prasolov. 

The meeting concerned considering of projects of a series of documents, notably: the project List of pilot interstate innovation projects of Interstate program of innovation cooperation of the CIS states for a period of up to 2020, the draft Agreement for prevention and suppression of natural fires on border territories of states-participants of the Commonwealth of Independent States, draft of new redaction of Ordinance of Intergovernmental Council of road workers.

“Commonwealth of Independent States is the most significant direction of trade and economic cooperation. 42% makes up the share of CIS states in general trade turnover of Ukraine which is a rather huge share. The most important is that Ukrainian products with high added value are supplied to the CIS market. These are our traditional markets and our task is to deepen and enlarge them. I will remind that Ukraine has, in fact, initiated creation of free trade area among the CIS states. We have passed this stage and now it is being developed,” Minister of Economic Development and Trade Ihor Prasolov stressed.

He also outlined the steps to ensure development of cooperation of Ukraine with CIS states in the nearest future.

“The agenda contains other issues already – issues of signing an agreement concerning free trade area regarding services. Around 20 billion dollars makes up trade turnover with 7.3 billion that falls to CIS states. Concerning the development of our future cooperation with Commonwealth of Independent States, Customs Union, development of Eurasian economic cooperation, this is our agenda, arguments which are important for us and that’s why we continue discussion of these issues, looking from different sides. We continue the discussion from the point of view of our country, so that our people have become just richer from this cooperation,” Ihor Prasolov emphasized.

Reports were heard from bodies of CIS branch cooperation: about the activity of Regional Commonwealth in communication area and about the activity of Commission of CIS states-participants with regards to peaceful applying of nuclear energy in 2009-2012.

A number of issues were considered, particularly: about the course of realization in 2012 of Interstate program of innovation cooperation of CIS states-participants for up to 2020, about activity in the area of advertising, about the development of insurance services market in CIS member-states. 

Participants of the event heard information about the process of realization of Convention on border cooperation of the states-participants of CIS, about the process of realization of Concept on forming national databases and organization of interstate information exchange about prevention and suppression of violations with regards to intellectual property of May 25, 2006; about the course of implementation of Decisions of the Economic Council of the Commonwealth of Independent State concerning the draft Agreement about interstate technical regulations of CIS states-participants of June 21, 2012; about creation of International rehabilitation center “InterMedicalEcoCity” in Kherson region (Ukraine) and certain issues concerning budget-financial, economic activity of CIS bodies.

The head of Ukrainian delegation the Minister of Economic Development and Trade Ihor Prasolov signed documents in compliance with instructions of the Government.