MINSK, 1 April (BelTA) – Further increase in pace and volume of Belarus-Russia integration will become the most effective answer to today's challenges. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Belarus Boris Gryzlov made the statement in a TASS interview timed to the Day of Unity of Peoples of Belarus and Russia, which is marked on 2 April.
Boris Gryzlov said: “It is obvious that increasing the pace and volumes of integration represents one of the most effective answers to current challenges.” The ambassador pointed out the Russian Federation government had decided to restructure Belarus' debt. In his words, now Belarus has to pay RUB1.2 billion to Russia over the course of 5-6 years instead of in 2022.
In his words, an agreement has been reached on arranging mutual deliveries of food and other critical goods when necessary. Negotiations on prices and payments for energy resources are in progress.
Boris Gryzlov noted systemic work continues to form and modernize the common market of electricity of the Union State of Belarus and Russia. The matter is particularly important for Belarus in view of attempts of neighboring European Union countries to block energy export to the West and deprive Belarus of target markets, the ambassador noted.
In his words, the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant in Grodno Oblast, which first unit was officially inaugurated in November 2020, is the largest integration project in the sphere of power engineering. “The second unit is scheduled to be commissioned in 2022. Both Russian and Belarusian specialists work at the Belarusian nuclear power plant, which is another example of our successful cooperation,” Boris Gryzlov said.
