MINSK, 1 July (BelTA) - Russia has always been a strategic partner for us and will remain so, Chairwoman of the Council of the Republic Natalya Kochanova told reporters after the plenary session of the 8th Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia on 1 July, BelTA has learned.
"Sanctions have been imposed against our countries. They are absolutely groundless, tough. Everyone understands that they will affect every resident, and therefore we are doing our best to minimize their impact on the economy and the country as a whole,” Natalya Kochanova said. “It is encouraging that trade between our countries is growing. The economy is functioning. Russia has always been a strategic partner for us both in the economy and in the humanitarian affairs. We share history, common roots, so we must stay united and work together to address the emerging issues."
The speaker noted that a lot of interesting proposals were voiced during the three-day forum. “They are about the review of imports, the work of our enterprises to make sure we do not compete but work in a way to complement each other. Therefore, we will do everything to promote the economic cooperation to make sure our people are not affected by the sanctions,” she said.
The Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia is held under the auspices of the upper chambers of the parliaments of the two countries – the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus and the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia. The 8th edition of the forum kicked off on 29 June and is running through 1 July. Its main events are held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The participants of the forum discuss science and technology cooperation between Belarus and Russia in the digitalization era and the development of the common scientific and technological space in the Union State.
Speaking at the plenary session are heads of government bodies, ministries and departments, representatives of business communities of the two countries, and digitalization experts.
