Official website of the President of Russia

News   /

After a brief one-on-one conversation, talks continued with members of the Government Cabinets of Russia and Belarus.

They discussed issues of integration and cooperation between Russia and Belarus, particularly the implementation of decisions taken at the meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, which was held in Moscow on 3 February 2009.

The meeting looked at ways to further expand economic cooperation, issues relating to the implementation of a Joint Action Plan to minimise the impact of the financial crisis and improve conditions for entrepreneurship and trade.

During the talks parties agreed to hold a joint meeting of the Ministries of Finance of Russia and Belarus to discuss the provision of loans and other forms of economic cooperation. The Finance Ministers of Russia and Belarus took part in discussing these issues.

Much of the meeting was devoted to cooperation in the energy sector. In particular, participants discussed the resolution of technical problems in gas cooperation between Moscow and Minsk. The parties agreed to establish a working group to prepare a proposal within a month on further steps for the development of Russian-Belarusian cooperation in the electricity industry, nuclear energy, the gas sector and between Gazprom and Beltransgaz. Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Igor Sechin, who was also present at the talks, will chair the group from the Russian side.

Over a working dinner, the two leaders discussed Russia’s and Belarus’ cooperation with the European Union.