Russia has signed a free-trade deal with seven other former Soviet¹ republics that will scrap² export and import tariffs³ on a number of goods.

俄罗斯与七个前苏联国家签署了自由贸易协定，根据该协定，若干商品的进出口关税将被免除。

Mr Putin said the agreement would make the eight economies more competitive
The agreement was announced following talks in St Petersburg. The other signature countries are Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and Tajikistan.

No details have yet been revealed about what goods will be included.

Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan may join by the end of the year.

The free trade agreement now needs to be ratified⁴ by the parliaments of the eight countries who have so far signed up, before becoming effective in 2012.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said the move would make their collective economies "more competitive".

Analysts⁵ said Ukraine's inclusion（包含） was significant, as the country had previously⁶ sought closer trade ties with the European Union.

However, Ukraine's current government of President Viktor Yanukovych is seen as being more pro-Russian than its predecessor⁷（前任） .

Last week, Ukraine's former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko was jailed for seven years for acting⁸ beyond her powers over a 2009 gas deal.

The European Union said the trial was politically motivated, but this was denied by Kiev.