Improving Customs Transit Systems
In the Islamic Countries
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4.1.3.3 EAEU Customs Legal framework
The Agreement on Accession of the Kyrgyz Republic to the Treaty on the EAEU was signed in
December 2014 and entered into force in August 2015. The Kyrgyz Republic is a member of the
Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), and its national legislation is fully compliant with the treaties
and acts of the EAEU (including the Treaty on the Customs Code of the Customs Union - Decision
of Interstate Council of the Eurasian Economic Community on November 27, 2009 No. 17). The
Customs transit agreement in the EAEU84, are very similar to those provided for by the EU
Convention on Common Transit.
4.1.3.4 Bilateral and regional agreements
In April 1994, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) - Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and
Uzbekistan agreed to establish a free-trade zone. According to the agreement, imports of goods
produced within the CIS having respective certificates of origin are not subject to any customs
or value-added taxes in the Kyrgyz Republic. However, this exemption does not cover excise
goods (such as alcohol and tobacco); furniture; video, TV and IT equipment and any accessories
to such electronic equipment85 .
In July 2019, the European Union and the Kyrgyz Republic initialed an Enhanced Partnership
and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) in the margins of the 15th EU-Central Asia Ministerial
Meeting, in Bishkek. This agreement comes in addition to the trade preferences already
unilaterally offered by the EU to the Kyrgyz Republic through the Generalised System of
Preferences Plus (GSP+), together with the implementation by the Kyrgyz Republic of 27
international conventions related to human rights, labor rights, protection of the environment
and good governance86.
In 2017, total EU-Kyrgyz trade amounted to 459 million euros. In 2016, the European Union
granted Kyrgyzstan GSP+ status 87. This opened up new potential for economic relations between
the two partners and offered opportunities for Kyrgyzstan to increase and diversify its exports
and to strengthen its economy. The GSP+ scheme offers Kyrgyzstan zero customs duties on over
6,200 EU tariff lines88.
4.1.3.5 International Legal Conventions
International conventions in the field of customs matters, ratified by the Republic of Kyrgyzstan:
84 Eurasian Customs Union formed by Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Armenia
85
86
87
8