Customs union in the post-Soviet area

On November 27 the Russian, Belarusian and Kazakh Presidents signed documents in Minsk which established a customs union between these countries. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have also already expressed interest in joining it.

This union is one of the few actual integration projects going on in the CIS. All three countries could benefit from it, but there is already controversy about accepting further countries. Kazakhstan for instance is very much concerned that if Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan join the union this might pose a threat to the other members as Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan is porous and unprotected. The union has only just been formed, it needs to be given some time to prove itself viable, efficient and profitable, it is said.