News & Events in Belarus
Lukashenko explains essence of Union State programs with Russia
MOSCOW, 9 September (BelTA) – Belarus and Russia are equal partners. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement after negotiations with President of Russia Vladimir Putin in Moscow on 9 September, BelTA has learned.
The central topic of negotiations of the two leaders was the completion of work on Union State programs. According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, all the key decisions were made during the talks.
Aleksandr Lukashenko stated: “Without having to retell the content of the documents we’ve discussed (they will be published, it is no secret), I will identify the key things in them such as equal rights for Belarusian and Russian commercial entities. Those equal conditions various representatives of Belarus have talked about for many years, including me as the president. It is the underlying foundation. We are equal partners.”
The head of state stressed that fair competition is a must for all the companies on the markets of Belarus and Russia. “It is for the sake of equality, profitable manufacturing cooperation, fruitful cooperation that Belarusian-Russian integration has been launched,” Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out. “The Union State programs clearly stipulate mechanisms for developing the common economic space: the formation of joint sectoral markets, the realization of a harmonized financial policy, tax policy, credit policy, price policy, and trade policy.”
According to the president, the Union State programs also offer a solution to the problem of deliveries of energy resources to Belarus. They envisage an increase in the volume of transport services, the financing of new investment projects, the implementation of common principles of realization of the agrarian policy and the industrial policy, the increase in the level of mutual social safeguards for Belarusian and Russian citizens.
Aleksandr Lukashenko asked Belarusian critics of the Union State of Belarus and Russia: what is bad for Belarusians in the decisions that have been made? “I’d like critics of our integration in Russia to tell me where they see a weight tied to the legs of the Russian Federation. There is nothing bad and there could be nothing bad for the peoples of Belarus and Russia in these programs. Everything was geared towards raising living standards of our nations. It is probably time to close the chapter on these talks. Our integration is purely about mutual benefits,” he stated.
Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked that during the negotiations they had managed to reach mutual understanding on all the key areas. Without delay the governments of Belarus and Russia will get down to polishing some things at a session of the Union State Council of Ministers in Minsk on 10 September.
“If the last strokes are approved and reconciled (and we are sure they will be), we are ready to approve the package of Union State programs at a session of the Supreme State Council of the Union State,” Aleksandr Lukashenko summarized.
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