Kyrgyzstan interested in joining Customs Union - official.

28/12 Tass 110

MOSCOW, December 28 (Itar-Tass) - Kyrgyz Prime Minister Almazbek
Atambayev said his country is interested in joining the Customs Union and
the Common Economic Space (CES).
"Kyrgyzstan and Russia have a common past, and I think, we should
share the future, too," Atambayev said at a meeting with Kremlin chief of
staff Sergei Naryshkin.
"We see Kyrgyzstan in the Customs Union; we see Kyrgyzstan in the
Common Economic Space. Once we were parts of one great country; but nobody
interferes with our being members of the Customs Union and CES," he added.
On Monday, Atambayev met with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
He stated that Kyrgyzstan wished to resume joint energy projects with
Russia and join the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
Russian and Kyrgyz officials earlier considered joint project
involving Gazprom and Kyrgyzgaz, as well as projects in electric
hydropower generation involving RusHydro. "We should return to these
plans," the Kyrgyz prime minister said.
Atambayev also said Russia was the main strategic partner of
Kyrgyzstan. "We see Kyrgyzstan in the Customs Union and the Common
Economic Space, we see Kyrgyzstan in inextricable connection with Russia,"
he said.
-0-myz/kud