Russia Lures Moldova into Its Customs Union with Kazakhstan, Belarus

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (R) meets with Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat (R) in the Gorki residence, outside Moscow, Russia, 11 September 2012. EPA/BGNES

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has invited Moldova to join the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.

If Moldova applies, Russia is ready to consider its possible entry into the Customs Union of three former Soviet republics, Medvedev said on Tuesday after a meeting with his Moldavian counterpart, Vlad Filat, as cited by RIA Novosti.

"Participation in any integrated formation must be deliberate, not imposed, and taken in line with the national interest. This is true of the Customs Union, the free trade zone of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the European Union and any other organization," Medvedev said.

Moldavian Prime Minister Vlad Filat was on a working visit in Moscow on Tuesday.

Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan agreed to form the customs bloc at an informal summit of the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) in August 2006.

In November 2011, the Russian, Belarusian and Kazakh presidents signed a declaration on Eurasian economic integration, a roadmap of integration processes aimed at creating the Eurasian Economic Union, which will be based on the Customs Union and common economic space among the three countries.

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