Ukraine not to affect decision-making at Customs Union, Medvedev says

YEREVAN, March 21. /ARKA/. Ukraine, as a possible observer with  the Customs Union, will have no privileges and will not be authorized to affect any decision-making, Russian Prime Minister  Dmitry Medvedev said, Prime agency reports.

According to him, Ukraine will remain a “third-party country” until it completely joins the Union.

Kiev is holding talks with members of the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan on Ukraine’s possible observer status in the trade bloc, Russia-owned RIA Novosti reported earlier.

“We are conducting talks in such a format in which Ukraine will become an observer with the Customs Union,” Ukrainian PM Mykola Azarov told reporters.

According to him, such format of cooperation will allow Ukraine to correct the decisions of the Union anytime.

Kiev had previously insisted on special terms of cooperation with the Russia-led Customs Union, but Moscow reacted negatively to the idea.

 “Of course, we will be glad to see Ukraine (as an observer with the Customs Union) and now we are designing the methods to facilitate membership with the Customs Union and the Eurasian Economic Union (to be enacted since 2015), there will be full membership and an observer status there… As to whether an observer can affect decision-making or any processes—of course, no, it is just an observer,” Medvedev said Wednesday in an interview with some European media outlets.  -0-