BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

22/12/2008

Medvedev, Lukashenko to discuss "a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation" in Moscow

MOSCOW, December 22 (Itar-Tass) -- Presidents of Russia and Belarus Dmitry Medvedev and Alexander Lukashenko will hold negotiations here on Monday to discuss "a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation," a high-placed official in the Kremlin told Itar-Tass.

"A meeting between Medvedev and Lukashenko will continue the intensive political dialogue between Russia and Belarus. The presidents of the countries met seven times in various formats this year," the Kremlin official said.

"Among topical issues of bilateral cooperation" the Kremlin official called "cooperation in the fuel and energy sector, including Russia's gas supplies to Belarus." The countries give priority in the issue to "the observance of the earlier reached agreements on the gradual transition to market pricing in the bilateral trade," he said. On the eve of his Moscow visit Lukashenko noted that Russia's gas supplies to Belarus "in the next year and years to come will be discussed along with other topical issues" at a meeting in the Kremlin. Meanwhile, Lukashenko emphasized that Belarus is interested in Russia's gas and oil supplies.

The Kremlin expects that "the summit will highlight topical issues of Russian-Belarussian cooperation in building up the defense capability and broadening military and military-technical cooperation, cultural and humanitarian ties." Back in November the Belarussian president noted that he supports fully Russia's idea for a possible deployment of air defense systems Iskander in the Kaliningrad region in retaliation to a deployment of U.S. missile defense sites in Eastern Europe.

Medvedev and Lukashenko will discuss "a wide range of issues of bilateral integration cooperation." In this respect, they will focus on "continuous shaping of a common economic space and building up the economic foundations for integration processes," the Kremlin official added.

"The creation of a customs union on the bilateral basis and within the framework of the EurAsEC is considered as the key task in Russian-Belarussian relations," he pointed out. On Friday, December 19, presidents of Russia and Kazakhstan Dmitry Medvedev and Nursultan Nazarbayev stated after a bilateral meeting in the Kazakh resort Borovoye that a customs union of three countries - Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan - might be created already by April 2009. "By April we will be able to create a normal integration union that we are seeking to do," Nazarbayev said on Friday. "In principle, there are quite real prospects to draw a line finally under this long process and move forward already with new foundations," Medvedev said.

The presidents of Russia and Belarus are also expected "to discuss in detail the trade and economic cooperation." According to the Russian side, "The bilateral trade has increased by 40 percent in 2008 as compared with the previous year and, according to forecasts, will reach a record high level of 33 billion dollars." "The November 13 memorandum on coordinating measures to increase the competitiveness of national economies is intended to develop bilateral economic ties. The document envisages the drafting and adoption of a joint action plan aimed at pursuing the coordinated budget and tax policy, a broader use of the Russian rouble in the bilateral trade and creating favourable conditions for the access of Russian and Belarussian goods on the markets of the countries," the official in the Kremlin administration said.

"In this respect, Russia allocated a state credit to Belarus in order to help Belarussian partners to ensure stability of the socio-economic situation in the country," the Kremlin source recalled. Russia "transferred the first tranche of the credit worth one billion dollars to Belarus in November."

Medvedev and Lukashenko will also "give close attention to the struggle with the aftermath of the world financial crisis and some prospects to take joint anti-crisis measures," the Kremlin source said.

Source:

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=13406796&PageNum=0

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