Karim Masimov of Kazakhstan and Almzabek Atambayev of Kyrgyzstan attend the Interstate Councils’ meeting for the first time in the capacity of prime ministers. Prime Minister Akil Akilov represents Tajikistan. Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov leads the Russian delegation. Not all member states are represented by prime ministers.

Deputy prime ministers Andrei Kobyakov and Rustam Azimov lead delegations of Belarus and Uzbekistan.

The heads of governmental delegations met over an agenda of 15 issues.

“We need to solve a number of matters aimed at development of the integration processes in the EurAsEC,” Fradkov said in opening remarks.

Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov expressed sympathy with his Kyrgyz counterpart Almazabek Atambayev about the political crisis in his country.

“But since you have come here, the situation appears to be normalizing,” he said.

A source in the Russian delegation said that a major matter to be discussed at the Interstate Council’s meeting would be the preparation of documents required for forming a law base of the EurAsEC customs union.

“Twenty-four documents have been already prepared and over half have been agreed upon,” he said.

Other issues on the agenda are approval of a coordinated social policy of EurAsEC states, the overcoming of poverty and labor migration issues.

The prime ministers are to pass a decision on EurAsEC budget policy for 2008.

The Interstate Council will review on Wednesday macroeconomic development of the member states in 2006.