MINSK, 17 November (BelTA) – The agenda of the next session of the Council of Ministers of the Union State of Belarus and Russia is virtually agreed, BelTA learned from State Secretary of the Union State of Belarus and Russia Grigory Rapota during the session of the high-level group of the Union State Council of Ministers on 17 November.
The next session of the Council of Ministers of the Union State of Belarus and Russia is scheduled to take place in Gomel in December. The agenda is virtually agreed. “But it doesn't mean that we cannot amend, expand or add to it. Some 15 items on the agenda have been agreed already,” said Grigory Rapota. The entire agenda is supposed to contain over 20 items. The prime ministers are expected to hear out reports on 4-5 items.
The 17 November session of the high-level group of the Union State Council of Ministers was chaired by First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vasily Matyushevsky and First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Igor Shuvalov. A number of bilateral cooperation matters were discussed such as the access of merchandise, workforce, and services to the Belarusian and Russian markets; priority directions of development of the Union State of Belarus and Russia till 2022; the involvement of financial institutions in several aspects of the Union State development; the fulfillment of the action plan on forming and pursuing a universal industrial policy within the framework of the Union State of Belarus and Russia; the development of the draft concept of the program on joint efforts to protect the population and rehabilitate the territories affected by the Chernobyl catastrophe. A number of other matters were also aired during the session.
Representatives of the ministries of foreign affairs, finance, economy, industry, agriculture, trade, education, and emergencies, representatives of financial development institutions, other ministries and government agencies of the two countries took part in the high-level group session.
