Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 5 June (BelTA) - Russia views Belarus as its most important strategic partner, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia Valentina Matviyenko said as he met with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on 5 June, BelTA has learned.

A delegation of more than 200 representatives from 19 Russian regions has come to Minsk for the first Belarus-Russia regional forum. “It proves Russia’s big interest in the development of interregional cooperation with Belarus,” Valentina Matviyenko said. “We have come to consider the level of our regional cooperation and measures to promote effective contacts,” she stressed.

Valentina Matviyenko emphasized the importance of Belarus and Russia reaching a record high mutual trade of almost $40 billion. Its big part is the result of interregional ties which are free from any bureaucratic huddles, Valentina Matviyenko said. She stressed the readiness of the parliaments of the two countries to provide necessary assistance to maximally intensify the Belarusian-Russian interregional contacts.

The Speaker of the Federation Council also stated that the forum is a good instrument to discuss issues and elaborate further joint plans.