MOSCOW, 23 June (BelTA) – Few issues remain to be settled to secure equal rights for Belarusians and Russians, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the Belarusian media on 23 June, BelTA has learned.
“A lot has been done to ensure equal rights for the citizens of Belarus and Russia. There are some details to work out in healthcare. We are working to expand the categories of people eligible for free medical care in the two countries. There are also issues regarding differences in the laws on real estate ownership, and also in the cost of health resort treatment and hotel accommodation,” said Sergei Lavrov.
According to Sergei Lavrov, much has been done by the parties to ensure equal rights for Belarusians and Russians in education, labor and pension security. “Time moves on. For example, we have the unified state examination in Russia. Belarus has sa similar exam that differs a bit methodologically. A decision has been taken to harmonize these two tools so that there are no inconveniences whatsoever. Today Belarusian school graduates are fully eligible to apply to Russian universities without any restrictions, and vice versa,” the Russian minister noted.
Sergei Lavrov said that some situations require immediate action. Such promptness was demonstrated with the recognition of the driving licenses of Belarusians working with Russian companies. A week ago, the Council of Ministers of the Union State took a decision to remove this issue completely.
“I think that any other minor issues that may arise because of the differences in our legislative systems, which develop individually despite being closely coordinated, will be resolved quickly without any inconveniences to our citizens,” the Russian minister said.
The interview of the Russian minister of foreign affairs was timed to coincide with the celebration of 25 years of diplomatic relations between Belarus and Russia.
