Russian, Kazakh, Belarusian premiers discuss EES agreement
RFE/RL based on reporting by RIA Novosti and Interfax 15 April 2014, 19:03
The prime ministers of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan are meeting in Moscow to discuss an agreement for the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union (EES).
The Russian government's press service said Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will also hold separate bilateral talks on April 15 with his Kazakh and Belarusian counterparts, Karim Masimov and Mikhail Myasnikovich, respectively.
The three countries are founding members of the CIS Customs Union.
Russian officials have tried to bring other former Soviet republics into the union, saying that by 2015 it will become the EES, modeled after the EU.
Earlier this month, Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrisov said the Russian, Belarusian, and Kazakh presidents would sign an agreement on the creation of the EES in May.
But officials have also said there are still serious trade issues that need to be resolved.
