Negotiations with Russia on lifting the ban on Ukrainian goods transit are being conducted at a high level, Chairman of the Kazakh Ministry for Investments and Development’s Transport Committee Aset Asavbayev said.
“The ban on transporting Ukrainian cargo via Russian territory took effect on July 1; it has not been lifted as of yet. Negotiations with Russia are being conducted not only at the level of the Kazakh Ministry for Investments and Development’s Transport Committee but also at the very top level”, Asavbayev said.
So far, Kazakhstan and Ukraine are using a land route across the Caspian region, he said.
“True, it is a bit more expensive than rail transportation and it has caused a price rise, but this is also a way out”, the committee chairman said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin modified Order No. 1, dated January 1, 2016, ‘On measures ensuring economic security and national interests of the Russian Federation in international cargo transit from the territory of Ukraine to the territory of the republic of Kazakhstan across the territory of the Russian Federation’. The amendments applied regulations on cargo traffic from Ukraine across Russia both to Kazakhstan and to Kyrgyzstan.
A temporary ban has been imposed on motor and rail transportation of goods on which Russia levies import customs duties at non-zero rates established by the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) unified customs tariff and goods from the list of agricultural products, raw materials and food approved by the Russian government.
The Russian government is entitled to permit motor and rail transportation of individual goods of the kind at the request of the Kazakh or Kyrgyz government on condition of compliance with the procedure for such transportation.
The Russian president’s order dated January 1 suspended the free trade zone agreement between Russia and Ukraine on January 1, 2016.
The order said that international motor and rail cargo transit from the territory of Ukraine to the territory of Kazakhstan across Russian territory should be done only from the territory of Belarus “on condition of the use of identification means (seals), including those based on GLONASS global navigation satellite technology, in cargo bays (compartments) of vehicles and rolling stock, lodgments, containers and other places where goods are or may be located, and on condition of availability of registration cards of drivers of those vehicles”. (Interfax/Business World Magazine)
