Ukraine's CES refusal no obstacle to integration of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus -- official

MOSCOW, July 12 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine's possible refusal to participate in the Common Economic Space (CES) will not stop Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus from continuing integration processes, a high-ranking official said Tuesday.

Dmitry Sukhoparov, Russia's national coordinator in the High-Level Group on the CES, told a RIA Novosti news conference: "The CES can work even without Ukraine. We [Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan] can work when there are three of us."

However, Sukhoparov stressed, "It should not be forgotten that Ukraine means almost 50 million people, and the bigger the market in terms of area, number, GDP and capital, the more efficient the organization we are building will be."

The expert said Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan produced 95% of the Commonwealth of Independent States' aggregate gross domestic product.

Ukraine would lose some advantages if it refused to take part in the CES, Sukhoparov said. "If a country participates at the stage of developing the agreements, it can still correct something or introduce something of its own," he said. "But when three countries have adopted documents, a new participant will have to join the prepared agreement."

Sukhoparov said experts from the four states were constantly working to consider and coordinate CES documents. "The 93-document package on the establishment of the common economic space will be coordinated in full by August 1," Sukhoparov said.

"Now, we have considered 68 of the 93 documents, out of which 50 have been coordinated by all the four sides," the official said. "There are differences over the remaining documents."

Sukhoparov said the CES's future would be decided at a four-party summit of the High-Level Group, which would be held after August 1.

Yushchenko has seriously overplayed his hand. He's backed out and pissed off the other 3 partners in this zone, he expected to be a member of the EU in waiting but has been rebuffed and he failed to get into the WTO while his economic growth is now 4% vs the 12.1% of his predicessor. So now to save face:

Ukraine in no hurry to apply for EU membership - Yushchenko

12.07.2005, 18.21

VIENNA, July 12 (Itar-Tass) -- Ukraine is in no hurry to apply for a membership of the European Union, President Viktor Yushchenko said during his working visit to Austria.

“In principle such an application can be filed next year, but it is not so much a specific date that really counts. First and foremost Ukraine must do its “home work” and rise to the level of European standards in politics, the economy and social spheres. We wish to make our partnership comfortable, and not overburden it with redundant problems.”

The Ukrainian head of state has said he had asked Austria for technical assistance in dealing with a number of tasks, such as the development of an insurance system, creation of an electronic land cadastre, struggle against organized crime, corruption, money laundering and illegal migration. He also expressed the hope that in the period of Austria’s presidency of the E.U. Ukraine’s relations with that organizations would become still closer.

European Union membership remains Ukraine’s strategic goal. At the same time he said that this strategy was not targeted against any third party.

He noted the importance of further strategic partnership with Russia and the observance of a balance of either country’s interests in the region through a direct dialogue at the summit level.

The EU is the original brain child of the founders of the Nazi New European Order, and though they've given up trying to out and out conquer everyone they are now going about it by buying out people or helping place like minded individuals in future "candidate" states. Note the Moldovan experience. The Communist party which should have lost big got to cheat against the capitalists, because they got on bended knee before the EU and thus only the OSCE observers were allowed in to see no evil, while the communists cheated their black hearts out.

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