Future is behind Eurasian integration - Nazarbayev

ASTANA, April 4 (Itar-Tass) - Kazakhstan's President Nursultan
Nazarbayev has expressed confidence that the Customs Union being a purely
economic project does not affect independence of any country.
"I am confident that the future is behind integration, especially
Eurasian one. The logics of development and the structure of economies of
those countries that will join the Eurasian integration process is such
that they complement each other," he said at the meeting with foreign and
local journalists at his residence on Monday.
He underlined that the Customs Union embodied his proposal to set up a
Eurasian Union put forward at the Moscow State University back in 1994.
Nazarbayev pointed to the unprecedented results yielded by the Customs
Union's activities.
"Only for its first year of operation the trade turnover between
Russia and Kazakhstan grew by 30 percent, Kazakhstan's export to Russia -
by 40 percent and Russia's export to Kazakhstan - by 35 percent. The
bilateral trade with Belarus doubled only for twelve months," said the
Kazakh president who was re-elected on Sunday securing 95.5 percent of
votes.
Integration processes that will further result in the creation of a
single economic space are aimed at creating economic benefits for its
member-states, developing business, making preparations for the accession
to the World Trade Organization and working for convenience of the
population.
"Arriving in Astana you pass through a different corridor, the same
thing happens when Kazakh citizens come to Moscow. Is it not for our
good?" Nazarbayev said.
He underlined that Kazakhstan's foreign policy priorities remain
unchanged.
"We have close relations with the Russian Federation, the People's
Republic of China, our big partners are the European Union and the United
States," he said adding that the Central Asian republic will continue
cooperation with other countries within the framework of integration
processes.