Belarus is ready to make concessions to push through the creation of a Customs Union with Russia and Kazakhstan, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday.
"All we want is for everything to be done properly and for all our relations to be based on equality and respect. If we see these things, we will make any compromises, any concessions, even if they are difficult and sensitive for us at some stage," Lukashenko said during a meeting in Minsk with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov.
The Customs Union formally came into existence on January 1, but is unable to start working fully until the three ex-Soviet states settle all disagreements and the Customs Code comes into effect from July 1.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said in late May the premiers of the three countries had failed to agree on the basic parameters of economic cooperation within the Customs Union at their meeting in St. Petersburg.
The main areas of contention are the import of foreign cars and aircraft into the Union's customs territory and export duties on Russian oil and petroleum products to Belarus.
Moscow and Minsk faced off at the start of the year over tariffs on imports of Russian oil, which Belarus said should be completely duty-free in the Customs Union.
Putin said the negotiation process would be continued by experts over the next few weeks.
MINSK, June 1 (RIA Novosti)
