No need for Kyrgyzstan to quit WTO to be admitted to Customs Union - PM.

BISHKEK, July 26 (Itar-Tass) -- Kyrgyzstan will not quit the World
Trade Organization (WTO) in order to be admitted to the Customs Union of
Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev
said on Tuesday.
"It is our chief condition. The Customs Union's secretariat has
accepted it. We cannot afford to withdraw from the WYO. The more so,
Russia's leaders say Russia might also join the WTO already this year.
Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev told me his country was also
ready. I think it would be even better," he said in an interview with
AKIpress news agency.
According to Atambayev, Kyrgyzstan will "insist on a transition
period" before joining the Customs Union. "There are ways to settle any
problem, the main thing is that it should tackled in a systematic manner,
on second thoughts. Unlike we did when we were entering the WTO - we just
signed [the agreement], agreed to everything having bargained nothing. Now
we should not be that shy and bargain every provision," he stressed.
"We shall negotiate each and every provision because we want to
protect Kyrgyzstan's market, population and businesses from negative
impacts whatsoever," re said.
"According to preliminary estimations by both our and Russian
economists, customs duties will go up," if Kyrgyzstan joint the Customs
Union, he noted. "But our task is to ensure further economic growth. We
must consider all options, there should be no haste," he stressed.