MINSK, 14 February (BelTA) – To minimize the impact of the external pressure and the sanctions policy of the West, Russia provided multifaceted support to Belarus last year, reads the Annual Review of Foreign Policy of the Republic of Belarus and Activities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2021 that was published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus on 14 February, BelTA has learned.
"To minimize the impact of the external pressure and the sanctions policy of the West against the Republic of Belarus, Russia provided multifaceted support to Belarus in various fields," the review says.
Belarusian-Russian cooperation was comprehensive and multifaceted. The countries maintained intensive contacts at the highest and high levels, cooperated in various formats at the intergovernmental, inter-parliamentary and interdepartmental levels, which traditionally ensured high dynamics of bilateral relations.
A landmark event was the approval, by the Supreme State Council of the Union State on 4 November 2021, of the Major Guidelines for the Union State Treaty for 2021-2023" and 28 Union State programs aimed at addressing large-scale tasks to advance the Belarusian-Russian integration, reads the review.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russia is the main trading partner of Belarus and accounted for 49% of Belarus' foreign trade in goods in 2021 (41.1% in exports, 56.6% - imports). "The parties continued to work on removing barriers and restrictions in mutual trade, ensuring equal economic conditions, solving topical issues of interaction in the energy sector, increasing industrial cooperation," the review says.
