Issues of international cooperation in the center of senators’ attention On 12 – 13 December 2006 the fourth session of the Inter-parliamentary Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Council of the  Republic and the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Council of Federation on inter-regional cooperation was held in Mogilev.  Parliamentarians of the two states assessed the effectiveness of trade, economic, scientific-technological and cultural agreements between the Mogilev region and certain regions of the Russian Federation. The Chairman of the Mogilev region Executive Committee Mr. Boris Batura, who is a member of the Committee and the Rapporteur on the subject, stressed that the development of integration ties with regions of Russia is a priority in the external economic activities of the Mogilev region authorities. Russia covers 60 % of the region’s import-export turnover. The 2006 January – October Mogilev region trade turnover volume with Russia made USD 986.4 million, which is 130 % against the similar period of the last year. The exports volume came up to USD 575.3 million (26 % growth) while the imports ran into USD 413.1 million (almost 36 % growth). Moscow takes up more than 20 % of Russia’s turnover with the region. These mutually beneficial economic exchanges have been  effectuated on the basis of agreements signed by the Regional Executive Committee and 16 regions of Russia. Trans-border cooperation between districts of the Mogilev, Smolensk and Bryansk regions have been actively developing of late.
The session participants believe that inter-regional cooperation is one of the most important priorities in Russia-Belarus interaction and a key factor of the Union construction. Projects designed to subsequently ensure sustainable development of trade and economic relations should be financed from the Union budget resources.  These include, primarily, the construction of roads enabling to withstand potential cargo and passenger traffic, up-to-date cargo check and registration points as well as infrastructure improvement, including of the training base of the Belarusian – Russian University in Mogilev. Further activities of the upper chambers of the two parliaments aimed at organizing meetings of leaders of the regions of the two countries will add to the intensification of the ongoing processes in all directions.
Visiting Mogilev region enterprises (newsprint factory in Shklov (under construction), open joint-stock company “Babushkina Krynka”, unitary enterprise “Mogilevliftmash”, agricultural enterprise and agrotown “Aleksandriya”), the senators could see models of successful Belarus-Russia cooperation and mutually beneficial trade.
While discussing item 2 of the agenda, the senators emphasized that along with the Treaty on the Establishment of a Union State, the Agreement between the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation on the equal rights of citizens signed on 25 December 1998 serves as a legal basis to provide for true equality of rights for people of Belarus and Russia. Further to the Agreement, in January 2006 in St. Petersburg, the Heads of State of Belarus and Russia signed a package of bilateral documents ensuring equal rights for the citizens of respective countries, which include: The Agreement between the Republic of Belarus and Russian Federation on cooperation in the field of social security; The Agreement between the Republic of Belarus and Russian Federation on the provision of equal rights for free movement, free choice of stay and residence on the territories of states — parties to the Union State for the citizens of the Republic of Belarus and Russian Federation; The Agreement between the Governments of the Republic of Belarus and Russian Federation on the procedure of offering medical assistance to citizens of the Republic of Belarus at medical establishments of the Russian Federation and to citizens of the Russian Federation at medical establishments of the Republic of Belarus; The Protocol to the Agreement between the Governments of the Republic of Belarus and Russian Federation of 21 April 1995 on avoiding double taxation and prevention of tax evasion involving revenue and property. Implementation of provisions of these documents will lift the problems continuously faced by the citizens of Belarus and Russia. Problems concerning provision of equal rights to perform economic operations, receive education, exchange housing, obtain employment and payment for the work done for citizens of Belarus and Russia have been actually solved. Today’s number one challenge for the state bodies concerned will be to carry out, within shortest time possible, the necessary formalities on a national level to ensure enactment of these Agreements. The Belarusian side has fulfilled the task. However, ratification of almost 50 % of the Agreements signed by Belarus and Russia has been unjustifiably delayed by the Russian Federation. The next, fifth session of the Inter-parliamentary Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Council of the Republic and of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Council of Federation on inter-regional cooperation has been scheduled for the first half of 2007 in Bryansk. The session will address issues of organizing control at vehicle entrance gates between Belarus and Russia as well as inter-regional contacts in humanitarian and investment spheres. |
