Kazakh chairmanship of EurAsEc Interstate Council to be prolonged

A session of the Interstate Council of the Eurasian Economic Community /EurAsEC/, which includes Russia, Belarus, Kazakhastan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, has been launched in Moscow. In his speech of welcome, Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasised that the officials were to discuss many issues, including that concerning the EurAsEC Chairman. The Russian leader stated that Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko had raised this issue. Vladimir Putin stressed that it was an initiative of the Kazakh leader to establish the EurAsEC. Moreover, Narsultan Nazarbayev, the President of Kazakhstan, has done much to develop this organisation. Since "the establishment of the EurAsEC has not been completed yet, it would be logical" to prolong the chairmanship of Narsultan Nazarbayev, Vladimir Putin was quoted as saying. Presidents of Belarus, Kirgizia and Tajikistan backed his proposal.