Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan to ensure equal access to construction services markets

A protocol to set up working groups to harmonize the market access rules for design and construction services organizations in accordance with the Treaty of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) was signed by the Ministry of Architecture and Construction of Belarus, the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Utilities Services of the Russian Federation and representatives of Kazakhstan after the meeting in Minsk on 13-14 January 2015.

At the talks the sides discussed the key aspects of interaction within the framework of the EEU and the Customs Union. Special attention was paid to the issues of forming the single market for construction services. The first meetings of the construction departments of Belarus and Russia on the topic were held in the summer of 2014, BelTA reports.

The working meeting in Minsk discussed in detail the practical steps to ensure the equal access to the market for design and construction services in accordance with the EEU Treaty, and identified the priorities of the plan to approximate the national laws. The meeting participants took the decision to set up the working groups which will deal with these issues.

First Deputy Minister of Architecture and Construction of Belarus Alexander Kruchanov said that Belarus' construction industry is interested in intensifying the work to harmonize the regulatory framework which will enable Belarusian construction companies to work in the market of Russia and the Russian ones in Belarus.

Elena Zhukova, Director of the Department of Urban Planning and Architecture of the Russian Ministry of Construction and Housing and Utilities Services, noted that the partner countries need to address jointly the administrative barriers to the EEU single market for construction services. The representatives of the Republic of Kazakhstan reported that Kazakhstan is reforming its construction industry, and that the changes will affect pricing. In addition, a new system of state control over the architecture and construction sector control will be introduced this year.