If Moldova applies, Russia is ready to consider its possible entry into the Customs Union of three former Soviet republics, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday after a meeting with his Moldovan counterpart, Vlad Filat.

“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.

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.