MINSK, 14 January (BelTA) – The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes Ukraine's decision to suspend the introduction of a special import duty on a number of Belarusian goods, BelTA learnt from spokesman for the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dmitry Mironchik.
“The Belarusian side has been informed on the meeting of Ukraine's interagency commission on foreign trade than took place on 13 January. The commission decided to suspend the introduction of a 39.2% import duty on some Belarusian products (tractors, dairy and fish products, beer, vodka, refrigerators and freezers, hosiery, glazed tiles and others) as from 20 January 2016. Belarus has not received any official information regarding the issue, yet,” the spokesman said.
“The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes the decision and notes that Ukraine's took into account the reasons Belarus voiced during the two rounds of the meetings of the Belarusian-Ukrainian working group on mutual trade in Kiev and Minsk in October and December 2015. Belarus explained that resolution No.666 signed by the Council of Ministers on 6 August 2015 does not aim at restricting mutual trade but protecting the health of its population. The resolution regarding sanitary and hygienic expertise of consumer goods does not harm the Ukrainian side,” said Dmitry Mironchik.
“We hope that Ukraine's decision not to introduce a special duty on Belarusian products will promote further removal of barriers in the mutual trade between Belarus and Ukraine and will create the necessary basis for building up trade between the two countries,” he underlined.
At the same time the Belarusian side will continue monitoring the implementation of Ukraine-EU Association Agreement in order to avoid negative impact on its economy and mutual trade with Ukraine, the official representative of the Belarusian ministry added.
