MINSK, 23 December (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and his team are not easy negotiators, but Moscow and Minsk managed to reach an understanding in the matters related to integration, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a big press conference, TASS reports.
“I must say that Mr Lukashenko and his entire team are not easy to negotiate with, but we have reached an understanding in principle of the pace and steps we should take on this path [towards the further integration],” the Russian head of state said. He added that this concerns many economic matters.
“I am sure that it will have an impact on our citizens, on their lives. This is not manna from heaven, it will not fall from the sky right away, but there are obvious things that boost our competitiveness,” Vladimir Putin said.
According to him, Moscow and Minsk have a lot to do to converge domestic economies and make them more competitive. Among the tasks is dropping roaming charges.
“We have already done a lot, especially in social security. I mean free movement, and the labor market, and even social security benefits in a number of areas. Now we are set to synchronize tax, customs administration and legislation. This is extremely important, as it will help us build a better understanding of how we should move on together to achieve the best result,” Vladimir Putin concluded.
“There are three fundamental things: fiscal policy and legislation and customs legislation. We have worked hard and long to reconcile our positions,” he added.
