MINSK, 17 June (BelTA) – Belarus and Russia are considering the possibility of increasing the number of phytosanitary control stations at the border. Belarusian Agriculture and Food Minister Anatoly Khotko made the relevant statement during the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Belarus and Russia on 17 June, BelTA has learned.
Anatoly Khotko mentioned plans to consider the possibility of increasing the number of phytosanitary control stations at the Belarusian-Russian administrative border. Apart from that, the sides agreed to initiate negotiations on the possibility of integrating information resources of the countries members of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission with Belarus' AITS system via the Russian information system Mercury. Integration will allow tracking controllable goods in transit to other countries, Anatoly Khotko explained. Specific agencies have been authorized and are working on it, he added.
The agriculture and food minister is convinced that the development of the agrarian market without restrictions and barriers should be one of the key conditions for long-term partnership between the countries. On the whole, he described the development of trade in agricultural products and food on the common market of the Union State of Belarus and Russia as dynamic. In 2018 mutual trade volume reached $5.6 billion. The figure reached $1.8 billion in January-April 2019, 4.7% up. “Trade demonstrates positive dynamics. Both export and import volumes are on the rise,” Anatoly Khotko noted. Yet he stressed the need to work fast on removing restrictions on the domestic market of the Union State of Belarus and Russia.
In turn, Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev assured that the Russian side is always interested in continuing constructive work with Belarusian colleagues due to vigorous integration processes in the Union State and due to traditional friendship between the two countries.
