MOSCOW, 23 September (BelTA) - Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Petrishenko called on the CIS member states to intensify the elimination of obstacles in mutual trade as he spoke at the meeting of the CIS Economic Council on 23 September, BelTA has learned.
“We believe it is necessary to intensify work to remove obstacles in our mutual trade. We thank the CIS Executive Committee for the prepared report on the barriers in mutual trade of the CIS member states and recommendations on their elimination. We support the Executive Committee's efforts to involve the chambers of commerce and industry of the CIS states in this work. We believe that recommendations for eliminating barriers should be discussed in detail at our next meeting in December. The discussion should result in decisions on the implementation of these recommendation,” said Igor Petrishenko.
According to the press service of the CIS Executive Committee, the CIS Economic Council reviewed a wide range of economic cooperation issues. The heads of delegations exchanged views on topical issues of economic cooperation in the CIS. In particular, they discussed the implementation of the list of joint measures to respond to emerging problems adopted at the June meeting of the Economic Council. They discussed the draft agreement on free trade in services, establishment, activities and investment. The main objectives of the document are to ensure sustainable development of the functioning of a free trade zone both in services and goods, liberalization of conditions for investment activities.
Sergei Shlychkov, Chairman of the Interstate Council for Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation, Chairman of the State Committee on Science and Technology of Belarus, reported on the implementation of the interstate program for innovation cooperation of the CIS member states through 2030 and the development of the CIS common innovation space in such areas as artificial intelligence, robotics and quantum technologies.
The parties approved the draft agreement on cooperation of the CIS countries to prevent and respond to public health emergencies of sanitary and epidemiological nature. The document defines the main areas and order of work of specialized anti-epidemic brigades and determines priority passage across the state borders of the parties.
Two draft concepts were considered well: they are about digital transformation of industries of the chemical complex of the CIS member states and scientific, technical and technological cooperation. In addition, the meeting participants approved the draft interstate radio-navigation program for 2023-2026. It envisages joint activities to develop radio navigation aids based on the use of signals of ground-based and space-based navigation systems on an electronic component base primarily developed by the CIS member states.
The members of the CIS Economic Council approved the draft plan of joint actions to combat resistance to antimicrobial drugs, and also the draft regulations on the basic organization to assess healthcare technologies, quality control and financing of medical care in the CIS.
The CIS Economic Council will next meet in Moscow on 9 December.
