Year of CU functioning proves rightness of our presidents' decision - U. Shukeyev

ASTANA. March 2. KAZINFORM /Kanat Kulshmanov/ The year of Customs Union's functioning showed that the heads of our countries had taken an absolutely right decision. First Vice Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Umirzak Shukeyev said it at a briefing yesterday in Uralsk.

"Some people believe that the Customs Union was formed too quickly. But this idea was initiated by President of Kazakhstan in 1994 in Moscow. There were various attempts and various configurations, but in the past two years it became clear that the Customs Union could be established in the configuration in which it exists now: Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan," he said.

The Vice PM reminded that in 2009 Kazakhstan increased its export to the CU member states almost by 40%, and import from Russia and Belarus to Kazakhstan rose by 20%.

"We see that the structure of our export has changed due to the establishment of the CU. Earlier we exported primarily raw materials, but now agricultural products and foods make the major part of Kazakhstan's export," U. Shukeyev added.