Shevardnadze Unhappy with Untimely Discussion of Free Trade Zone in CIS

(Tbilisi February 24, 2003. Civil Georgia) – Georgian President Shevardnadze commented today regarding the meeting of the Russian, Belarus, Kazakh and Ukrainian Presidents to rejuvenate economic links by creating a free trade zone.

?According to the agreement of summit of leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States [CIS] discussion of the issue of the free trade zone within the CIS was scheduled for September. Thus I do not understand why this issue was discussed at this meeting,? Eduard Shevardnadze said in his Monday radio broadcast on February 24.

On February 23 in Moscow Presidents of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan presented an agreement to set up the free trade zone among the four states.

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