MINSK, 5 January (BelTA) – There are no reasons for speculations in matters concerning the approval of the draft agreement on the Eurasian Economic Union's Customs Code, BelTA learned from Dmitry Mironchik, Head of the Information Office, Press Secretary of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on 5 January.
The spokesman of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “A number of mass media failed to correctly report the news. Indeed, instead of the Customs Code the Belarusian side has signed the presidential decree on conducting negotiations on the draft agreement on the Customs Code and on signing the agreement. Such a decree represents a standard intrastate procedure in compliance with Belarusian laws and international agreements.”
In his words, the revision of the clause on conducting the negotiations is a standard legal formula. “If you look at any similar decree on a draft international agreement, you will see it for yourselves. The formulas are absolutely the same,” remarked Dmitry Mironchik.
“Even the fact that the text is accepted as the foundation for conducting negotiations is a standard international practice. As a rule, all the principal matters concerning a draft international agreement are agreed beforehand. But until the moment all the necessary signatures are made, the document can be revised. There are no reasons for speculations,” concluded the spokesman of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
BelTA reported earlier that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has signed decree No. 499 to approve the draft agreement on the Customs Code of the Eurasian Economic Union as the foundation for conducting the relevant negotiations. The State Customs Committee has been authorized to conduct the negotiations. In line with the decree the agreement can be signed if the parties come to terms within the limits of the approved draft agreement.
