Kyrgyzstan accused of arms smuggling

Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Bakytzhan Sagintayev on the eve of a meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of Government announced the prevention of smuggling and illegal movement of drugs, weapons, ammunition across the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border.

According to him, the Republic of Kazakhstan counts on the constructive position of the Kyrgyz side in five principal areas:

— Bringing the norms of the national legislation of Kyrgyzstan in line with the EEU right on tax administration;

— Counteracting illegal exports, including counterfeit products;

— providing the Kyrgyz side with a permanent and effective veterinary-sanitary and phytosanitary (quarantine) control of goods for compliance with the requirements of the EEU;

— the adoption by Kyrgyzstan of measures to prevent and suppress violations of transport legislation of the member states of the Union;

— prevention of smuggling and illegal movement of drugs, weapons, ammunition through the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border.

Minister of Economy of Kyrgyzstan Artem Novikov commented on this accusation to journalists. «We heard about arms smuggling for the first time. The question has never been raised before. Kyrgyzstan is an adherent of all international conventions on non-proliferation of weapons and drugs. It is not clear why this issue arose,» he said.