AKIPRESS.COM - The Ministry of Economy of Kyrgyzstan said the WTO Appellate Body will evaluate the illegitimate actions of Kazakhstan with regard to transit of goods from Kyrgyzstan as hidden trade restrictions in the struggle for control over goods flows from China to Russia.

Kyrgyzstan raised the problem of Kazakhstan’s trade restrictions at the session of the World Trade Organization General Council on March 3.

Kyrgyzstan made all possible efforts to regulate the situation bilaterally and in the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union. The Kyrgyz authorities had to raise the problem with WTO with no results achieved in previous efforts.

The Ministry of Economic said the number of trucks crossing the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border declined from 93,612 in 2018 to 73,652 in 2019 making 22% decrease.

“Kazakhstan creates trade obstacles since March 2019. The statements of the Kazakh authorities saying the complaint of Kyrgyzstan to WTO is ungrounded does not correspond to reality of the difficulties faced by Kyrgyz freight shippers,” the Kyrgyz Economy Ministry said.

The Kyrgyz Ministry of Economy dismissed statistics provided by Kazakh authorities on freight shipments, since the Ministry said it has numerous facts proving Kyrgyz truck drivers were forced to admit violations. “Having analyzed complaints of freight shippers, we see the aim of checks by Kazakh fiscal authorities is registration of any inaccuracies to get more statistical information on alleged violations by freight shippers from Kyrgyzstan,” the Ministry of Economy of Kyrgyzstan emphasized.

The demanded by Kazakhstan use of goods navigations seals by Kyrgyz truck drivers is irrelevant, since the respective agreement is yet to be ratified, the Ministry of Economy said and noted one more time that Kazakhstan violates WTO and EAEU agreements.