Temir Sariev: Kyrgyzstan did not have alternative to joining EEU

The authorities of Kyrgyzstan really assessed all the pros and cons of the consequences of joining the Eurasian Economic Union. The ex-prime minister of the country Temir Sariev, who runs for post of the president, said to TASS.

«I do not think that we had any alternatives for this step. States with a small economy and a small domestic market are obliged to participate in integration processes. Kyrgyzstan is not an exception in this regard. At least 70 percent of our goods are exported to EEU countries," the former prime minister said.

Alternative markets and participation in other integration associations would require titanic efforts from the country, and it is not the fact that they would become successful.

Temir Sariev

According to him, today’s world market is highly competitive, when hundreds of countries and tens of thousands of companies are looking for markets for their products. In order to find new buyers for their products, one needs to meet international quality standards, spend huge funds for promotion. In this situation, it was natural for Kyrgyzstan to concentrate primarily on traditional markets.

In case of rejection of EEU, the republic «would not collapse», but the union gives the country the opportunity to accelerate development, modernize the infrastructure and the economy. There is no need for large expenditures on the development of national technical regulations and other normative acts in the field of sanitary, veterinary and phytosanitary legislation.