BREST, 13 December (BelTA) – The Council of Ministers of the Union State of Belarus and Russia will hold its meeting in Brest on 13 December. The meeting will be attended by Belarus Prime Minister Sergei Rumas and Russian Premier Dmitry Medvedev, BelTA has learned.
There are over 20 items on the agenda. The topics include Belarus-Russia trade and economic cooperation, priority avenues and top-priority tasks in the further development of the Union State of Belarus and Russia in the medium term through 2022, the draft Union State military doctrine, and the next year's plans for trading in agricultural and food products, fuel and energy resources.
Attention will be paid to the formation of the Union State budget, cooperation in defense and security, the development of small and medium private companies, new Union State programs, and Union State awards for accomplishments in science and technology. Participants will also discuss events to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Belarus' liberation from the Nazis and the 75th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
Participants of the session are expected to review how the Supreme State Council's decisions on cooperation in mechanical engineering and agribusiness are fulfilled as well as decisions on cancelling roaming charges in the Union State of Belarus and Russia. The Union State's contribution to financing the project to create a Dostoyevsky memorial estate in Brest Oblast and a Rzhev memorial for Soviet soldiers in Tver Oblast will be discussed.
A number of documents are supposed to be signed as a result of the meeting, including the Belarusian-Russian intergovernmental agreement on mutual visa recognition.
In January-October 2018 Belarus-Russia trade totaled $29.6 billion, 12.7% up from the same period last year. Russia remains Belarus' main trade partner, accounting for 49.6% of Belarus' merchandise trade in cost terms, 38.3% of Belarus' export, and 59.5% of Belarus' import. In January-October 2017 the share of Russia in Belarus' foreign trade, export, and import was 51.4%, 45.1%, and 56.9% respectively. Belarus' top five export items to Russia include trucks, cheeses and curd, beef, tractors and truck tractors, truck and tractor parts.
