MOSCOW, 18 June (BelTA) – The interlinkage of integration processes is an important task of Belarus' presidency over the Commonwealth of Independent States. Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Igor Petrishenko made the statement during a session of the CIS Economic Council in Moscow on 18 June, BelTA has learned.
According to Igor Petrishenko, the further incremental interlinkage of regional integration processes is another important initiative of Belarus' presidency this year. First of all, it applies to the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Eurasian Economic Union, he said.
Igor Petrishenko reminded that some progress had been achieved in these matters recently. At a session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in May Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed the need to step up efforts meant to involve CIS states into economic interaction with the Eurasian Economic Union by means of working out individual rapprochement plans for every country. The official suggested that as part of the memorandum on tighter interaction that has been signed with the Eurasian Economic Commission the CIS Executive Committee should also more actively get involved in this work in order to fill the relevant documents with concrete content. “It will allow us to reach new quite feasible integration tracks of cooperation,” he said.
Igor Petrishenko stressed that Aleksandr Lukashenko's proposal fully lives up to the spirit of work organization within the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States because as part of the mentioned rapprochement plans every state will be able to independently select the spheres, the format, and the depth of building its relations with the Eurasian Economic Union member states. “I'd like everyone to pay attention to this initiative and support it with concrete actions,” Igor Petrishenko said.
Igor Petrishenko also said that Belarus had suggested organizing a session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Minsk on 14 October ahead of a meeting of the CIS heads of state, which is scheduled for 15 October.
