Work on Customs Union creation to become important lever of crisis overcoming and economic growth rehabilitation - V.Putin

?One of the key items on the agenda was the issues of formation of the Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. We consider that it is necessary to use benefits and opportunities of the integration for acceleration of mutual trade projects, for implementation of joint investment projects. The Customs Union?s activity is called to become an important lever of the crisis overcoming and economic growth rehabilitation. We appraise Kazakhstan?s position as an adherer to implementation of all integration programs in the post-Soviet space?, V.Putin said. In the current difficult times our countries chose a way of their potentials joining for countering negative consequences of the financial and economic crisis. In this connection, we discussed tasks of further extension of the Russian-Kazakh business partnership in detail. We plan to activate efforts on execution of the whole package of measures, which are set in the Joint Actions Plan of Russian and Kazakhstan for 2009-2010. ?Kazakhstan is one of the key economic partners of Russia. In 2008 the trade turnover between our states increased by 19 percent and formed USD 19.7 bln?, V.Putin said.