The four countries’ Presidents had an informal meeting at the Ukrainian President’s Zarya residence on the Black Sea coast.
The Russian President said that the work done to prepare documents on a Common Economic Space (CES) of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine was impressive. He stressed that these documents were, to a considerable extent, of a framework character; they were the result of a compromise but it was a compromise that suited all sides. According to him, the prepared documents make it possible to advance gradually towards the implementation of the agreements reached which fully meet the national interests of all the participating states.
The four countries’ leaders declared their readiness to sign the agreement on the establishment of a Common Economic Space.
A group of top officials headed by deputy prime ministers did a great deal of work meeting every month in different capitals. All the documents have been drafted and initialed to be signed, including the Presidents’ statements, an agreement on a Common Economic Space and the CES concept. There were no obstacles to the signing of these documents, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said.