Events

The EEU laws provide for the equal status of the member states. “We hope that in the near future the EEU will define domestic products as products made within the borders of the Union,” the Vice Premier noted.

Speaking about trade and economic cooperation between Belarus and Kaliningrad Oblast, Piotr Prokopovich noted that the cooperation has been making good progress. In January-September, the trade was estimated at $241.7 million, up by 14.9% over the same period of last year. At the meeting with Kaliningrad Oblast Governor Nikolai Tsukanov on 1 December Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that the bilateral trade should be increased up to $500 million. This can be done by expanding the range of commodities and services supplied by Belarus and Kaliningrad Oblast, the Vice Premier said.

The participants of the session also discussed the prospects of several joint projects, like the joint project of the automobile cluster of Kaliningrad Oblast and companies affiliated with the Avtokomponenty Holding Company from Belarus. The project has just kicked off, but the prospects are exciting, Piotr Prokopovich said. “Belarus-based mechanical engineering companies should be encouraged to increase supplies of buses, trolleybuses, municipal and road construction vehicles to Kaliningrad by means of joint projects. Partners should take more advantage of financial instruments like leasing and budget subsidies,” the Deputy Premier said.

Other areas of focus include cooperation in the construction industry and closer interregional ties.