23 June, Minsk /Elena Prus - BELTA/. The development of an agreement on labour migration between Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan is nearing completion. This was announced in a conversation with a BELTA correspondent by Birzhan Nurymbetov, Vice Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan. He is participating in the meeting of the Consultative Council on Labour, Migration and Social Protection of the Population of the CIS Member States, which is taking place today in Minsk. Birzhan Nurymbetov believes that "a significant step forward has been taken – it has been decided that the movement of labour between the three countries will be carried out without any restrictions." Extensive preparatory work has been carried out at the expert level, and meetings of deputy ministers and ministers have taken place, during which common approaches have been developed. As is known, the current legislation of Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan provides for certain restrictions (quotas, issuance of permits, licensing, etc.). Within the framework of the Customs Union, the permit procedure for labour migration will be abolished, the interviewee emphasized. This means, in particular, that Belarusian companies attracting labour from Russia and Kazakhstan will not have to obtain the relevant permits. "Russia and Kazakhstan primarily accept labour migrants, while Belarus acts as a labour exporting country in relation to Russia," said the Vice Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Population of Kazakhstan. "Such an agreement, if adopted, will be in the interests of citizens who wish to leave their country for employment purposes." Birzhan Nurymbetov informed that, according to official data, about 1.3 thousand Russians work in Kazakhstan, and about 9.5 thousand Kazakhstanis work in Russia. 50 Kazakhstanis work in Belarus, and 30 Belarusians work in Kazakhstan (this is due to geographical location).-0-

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