MEETING OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF THE UNION STATE
 On June 27, 2008 a regular meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Union State was held in Moscow. Belarus has been and remains the main area of the Russian foreign policy, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with Belarusian Premier Sergei Sidorsky. Vladimir Putin noted that Belarus and Russia continue working in all areas, above all, in trade and economic area, he said. Last year the Belarusian-Russian trade surged by 30% as against 2006. Over the four months this year it was up 60%. “Our efforts yield real results,” Vladimir Putin highlighted.
“We have something to be proud of not only in bilateral cooperation but also in the development of the two states,” Vladimir Putin noted. He also added that in bilateral cooperation Belarus and Russia will pay special attention not only to the economy but also to the social area.
The growth of the Belarusian-Russian economic cooperation is the main result of H1 2008, Belarusian Premier Sergei Sidorsky noted during a session of the Council of Ministers of the Belarus-Russia Union State.
Sergei Sidorsky reminded that over the four months this year, the Belarusian-Russian trade increased by 60% as against the same period last year. “More than 6 thousand companies of Belarus and Russia closely cooperate with each other,” Sergei Sidorsky noted.
It attests to the strengthening of the economic cooperation of Belarus and Russia within the framework of the Belarus-Russia Union State, the Prime Minister highlighted.
The Belarusian-Russian integration should be filled with new ideas and initiatives, Russian Premier Vladimir Putin noted during a session.
Vladimir Putin also noted that it is necessary to preserve the dynamics of the trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. “We should settle a lot of problems: the creation of the single economic area, the formation of the Customs Union, the ensuring of equal rights of citizens of Belarus and Russia that will allow the two countries to reach a new level of the integration,” Vladimir Putin noted.
In 2009, the budget of the Belarus-Russia Union State will be increased by at least 25%, Belarusian Premier Sergei Sidorsky noted during a session of the Council of Ministers of the Belarus-Russia Union State in Moscow on June 27.
According to him, relevant instructions have been given to the governments of both the countries.
A session of the Council of Ministers of the Belarus-Russia Union State paid special attention to the joint production programmes. “The mutual trade should be supported by the joint programmes,” Sergei Sidorsky noted. According to him, the session considered the new programmes concerning the microelectronics, the production of big integral circuits, composite polymeric materials. The sides also discussed the transport, customs and other issues which should give a powerful impetus to development of the integration processes.
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