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Kazakhstan and Belarus decided against supporting Russia’s resolution to limit imports from Ukraine, Russia’s Vedomosti reports.
Russia suggested its partners within the Customs Union to sign a respective document [on limiting imports from Ukraine] at the sitting of the Eurasian Committee.
Russia’s decision to limit imports from Ukraine was preceded by Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko’s agreement on association with the EU. Moscow is concerned that following the agreement cheap European products may flock to the Customs Union marked as if they had been produced in Ukraine.
After Kazakhstan and Belarus rejected to sign the resolution, Russia, in line with the Customs Union regulations, got the right to act unilaterally.
“This decision involves three parties – Ukraine, Russia and the latter’s partners within the Eurasian Economic Space (…) some protective measures are needed, and we will keep on the dialogue to decide on concerted measures”, Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman of Russia’s President, said.
According to the source in the Russian Administration, both Belarus and Kazakhstan have valid reasons for abstaining from signing the resolution. “We do understand our colleagues from Kazakhstan and Belarus. Kazakhstan is seeking to enter the WTO and there’s a risk of Ukraine trying to block its accession. Belarus shares a 600-km-long border with Ukraine and closing the border is economically unreasonable”, he said.