Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 1 / Trend U. Ismayilova /
The CIS Heads of Governments plan to sign a single agreement on free trade zone in May 2011, Andrey Kushnirenko, the Director of Economic Department of the CIS Executive Committee, said in Baku on Wednesday. He attends the two-day conference of ministers of member-countries of the Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA ).
"Signing this agreement will facilitate the implementation of innovative projects not only to exchange in the oil and gas sphere, but also in the sphere of modern technologies. Moreover, it is planned to conduct joint training and exchange staff in these areas," Kushnirenko said.
He said that there is the agreement on free trade and about 100 bilateral agreements between the CIS countries signed in 1994. It was amended in 1999.
"Most of these documents contradict each other, as well as the norms of the World Trade Organization. A single agreement aims to fully minimize import and export duties to improve free trade regime ", Kushnirenko said.
At present, the majority of countries, including Azerbaijan, are actively involved in preparing the document, the director of the department said.
"The document is in the CIS Executive Committee. It will be finalized. It will be implemented after the document is singed by the heads of governments in May next year," Kushnirenko said.