NUCLEAR POWER IN BELARUS AND WORLDWIDE
MINSK, 4 March (BelTA) – It is important to develop and bolster interregional ties. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Belarus Dmitry Mezentsev made the statement ahead of the visit of a delegation of the upper chamber of the Russian parliament to Minsk, BelTA has learned. The delegation will be led by Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia Valentina Matviyenko.
The ambassador underlined that it is in the format of interregional cooperation that ties grow stronger between individual enterprises, individual businessmen, agricultural enterprises, ties in the spheres of trade, humanitarian affairs, education, healthcare, and many other areas. “It is a resource that is inexhaustible in a manner of speaking. It complements the format of interstate bilateral relations, regulating them to a large degree and enriching them,” Dmitry Mezentsev said.
The ambassador said he believes that disputes between commercial entities such as oil shipments and what not cannot and should not overshadow the edifice of special relations that exists between Belarus and Russia.
On 5 March Valentina Matviyenko is expected to meet with Chairwoman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus Natalya Kochanova. The negotiations will proceed in a narrow format and an expanded one. The same day the speakers of the upper chambers of the parliaments will attend a session of the committee charged with organizing the 7th Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia. Apart from that, Valentina Matviyenko is expected to meet with Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Vladimir Andreichenko.
Dmitry Mezentsev continued: “The practice of interparliamentary ties between Russia and Belarus, the desire to make them deeper, discussion about specific issues relating to the improvement of the national legislations, the sharing of experience and opinions, a genuinely sincere conversation are part and parcel of meetings of parliamentarians. They will also be present during the visit of Valentina Matviyenko, who has a special place in her heart for Belarus.”
The ambassador is convinced that the visit of the Federation Council delegation and the discussion about the forthcoming forum will be an important stage in enhancing cooperation between constituent territories of the Russian Federation and regions of Belarus. “Held in St Petersburg last year, the 6th Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia demonstrated the significance of and demand for interregional cooperation. Agreements worth a total of $550 million were signed. It is a significant milestone,” the ambassador remarked.
In his words, in Minsk participants of the session of the forum's organizing committee will have, in particular, to determine the structure of the forthcoming forum, the forum's agenda, topics, and the composition of participants. The diplomat also stressed the unwavering attention the presidents of Belarus and Russia pay to events of interregional forums.
The ambassador also mentioned regular visits of heads of various regions of Russia, meetings with the Belarusian head of state. “It is something we should treasure and pay attention to,” the diplomat stressed.
In Minsk Valentina Matviyenko is expected to lay a wreath at the Minsk – Hero City stele. She will participate in a ceremony of handing over a capsule with soil collected from graves of Soviet soldiers near the Russian city of Rzhev to the All Saints Memorial-Church as part of the international commemorative campaign “To the glory of common victory!”
The ambassador drew attention to the uniformity of views the leadership of Russia and Belarus invariably demonstrate as they evaluate the scale of the unprecedented deed committed by the Soviet nation during the Great Patriotic War, particularly considering the more frequent attempts to distort history. “We appreciate it in a special way. It is important primarily for the sake of the young generation of Russians and Belarusians,” Dmitry Mezentsev said.
On 6 March Valentina Matviyenko and Natalya Kochanova are expected to visit the memorial complex Brest Hero Fortress where a meeting with Great Patriotic War veterans will take place. “The trip to the legendary bastion will take place not so long before the day of the Great Victory. The meeting with veterans is an opportunity to once again feel to the full extent the scale of the heroic deed,” the ambassador stressed.
BelTA reported earlier that events of the 7th Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia will take place in Minsk and the oblast in autumn. The forthcoming forum will focus on the historical legacy of the Great Victory as the foundation for advancing social, economic, and spiritual ties of peoples of Belarus and Russia.
