On Tuesday, Mr. Khristenko was appointed the president's envoy for the development of integration-related cooperation with the CIS member-countries.
Mr. Khristenko has represented the Russian government at the CIS integration and economic organizations since 2000, according to a press release issued by the Industry and Energy Ministry.
Mr. Khristenko has on many occasions emphasized that the CIS members have a considerable integration experience.
Indeed, Russia and Belarus make up a union; Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrghyzstan, and Tajikistan have formed the Eurasian Economic Community (Eurasec); Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan constitute a Common Economic Space. However, the European Union's experience would also be helpful for integration processes within the CIS.
The documents signed in 1992-1994, above all the treaty on the establishment of the CIS economic union, stipulated that the Commonwealth should develop as a regional structure, i.e. via establishing a free trade zone, than a customs union and economic and currency unions. However, soon it was clear that a common customs space could not be created within the CIS at the current development phase. Therefore 5 CIS countries set up the Customs Union that formed the basis for Eurasec that appeared in 2000. The CIS and Eurasec have promoted a certain growth of commodity turnovers between their members.
"Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan account for a huge part of Russia's commodity turnover with the CIS countries. Therefore, those countries' leaders issued a statement, in February 2003, on the emergence of the Common Economic Space, while in September 2003 they signed the concept and agreement on the establishment of the Common Economic Space," reads the press release.
The Common Economic Space rests on the basic principle of the free movement of commodities, services, capitals and labor force across the member-countries' borders.
