BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

27/06/2008

RF-Belarus Union State Council of Ministers meets in Moscow

MOSCOW, June 27 (Itar-Tass) - Prime ministers Vladimir Putin and Sergei Sidorsky are holding In Moscow a meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Russia-Belarus Union State, the press service of the Russian cabinet reports.

Russian journalists have learned from a source within the Russian government that the meeting would be preceded by a talk between the two premiers, who are planning to discuss some key problems, linked with the development of the Russo-Belarus economic relations, including interaction in the fuel and energy sector, reciprocal access of goods to the markets of the two countries, implementation of the earlier reached agreements, etc.

According to the said source, the problem of a common currency for the Union State would not be broached during the negotiations. The source noted that it "was not forgotten", but "time is needed" to implement it. Ninety-nine per cent of the technical work to go over to common currency was done and "only some final touches were needed", but the Belarus side said it was not ready for them yet, PRIME-TASS reports. "Realising that this is an important step for any country, nobody is forcing or will ever force the Belarus Republic to do it," the source stressed, adding that the Belarus side has to realise itself the potential and advantage of a new currency. "We are ready to go back any time to the discussion of this problem," he noted.

According to this source, it is also planned to raise at the negotiations the problem of the Belarus side's ratification of the agreement on the property of the Union State. Such an accord was signed in 2002 and Russia has ratified it, while the Belarus Republic has not. It is necessary to ratify the agreement in order to have "a comprehensible procedure, needed to form the property, created as a result of the implementation of the Union State's programs".

Some problems could also be raised at the negotiations, linked with the implementation of the agreements on equal rights of the citizens of Russia and the Belarus Republic. According to this source, Russian citizens were sometimes discriminated against within the Belarus Republic, compared to Belarus citizens. For instance, citizens of the Russian Federation are not allowed to privately own land in the Belarus Republic, although Belarus citizens enjoy this right. Moreover, Russian citizens have to pay for using some motor roads, although no payments are required from Belarus citizens. "This is sheer discrimination. Everything permitted to Belarus citizens within the Belarus Republic should be permitted to a Russian citizen," the source stated. It is planned to discuss nineteen problems at the current meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Union State. A report on the execution of the 2007 budget of the Union State is to be discussed, as well as amendments and supplements to the 2008 Union Budget and the principal parameters of the draft budget of the Union State for 2009. The source said the 2009 Union State's revenues and expenditures are to add up to 4 billion 615 million Russian roubles. Three billions will be contributed by the Russian side and 1 billion 615 millions - by the Belarus side. Furthermore, the meeting of the Council of Ministers will consider the fulfilment of the concept for the social development of the Union State up to 2010, the results of the implementation of the plan of joint steps to form and ensure the operation of a joint transport system of the Union State, the implementation of the program to develop the infrastructure of the customs services on the territory of the Belarus Republic, and problems linked with the drafting and implementation of several Union programs.

Source:

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=12818275&PageNum=0

Google