Interregional cooperation issues on the agenda June 14 — 15 2007 the fifth sitting of the inter-parliamentary committee of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus and the Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation for interregional cooperation took place in Bryansk (Russian Federation). The Belarusian delegation was headed by Mr Stepan Pisarevich, Chairman Standing Committee for Economy, Budget and Finances. Members of the Council of the Republic Ms Nadezhda Ermakova and Mr Valery Bashmetov, Ambassador-at-large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus  Mr Nikolai Voitenkov and head of Gomel customs office Mr Vasily Gnatuk also took part in the sitting.
The issues relating to the cooperation of the regions of Russia and Belarus in investment and humanitarian spheres and the establishment of control on vehicle border checkpoints while public conveyance and transportation of goods through the Belarus-Russia border were included into the agenda. At the beginning of the meeting Mr Nikolai Denin, Governor of Bryansk Oblast, highlighted that Belarus was one of the leading economic partners of Bryansk Oblast. “Our trade turnover makes up 183 mln. US dollars. This being said Belarus firmly holds the first place in the region’s exports,” he also said.
Direct cooperation of the regions is very fruitful. Agreements with Brest and Grodno Regions were signed as a follow-up to the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Administration of Bryansk Oblast of the Russian Federation on  Cooperation of October 2006. Cooperation with Gomel Oblast has proved effective. There is a joint Russia-Belarus fodder harvesting combines assembly enterprise operating in this region. Within two years the throughput of this enterprise has risen from 20 up to 180 units.
The participants of the sitting took note that historically Russia and Belarus had close humanitarian, cultural and social ties rooted in the history of the Slavic civilization. Exchange of youth and children associations to participate in holiday events, interchange of exhibitions of both Belarusian and Russian artists, conduction of training conferences for the employees of higher education establishments, libraries and museums, theatre festivals, an annual youth festival “Slavic Solidarity” by the Monument of Friendship by the  border of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, meetings of intellectuals at interregional and all-Russia social and cultural events have already become traditional.
During the meeting it was noted that the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation had created the necessary legal base for attracting investments. The provisions of the Union Treaty facilitate greatly the procedure of creation of joint ventures, branch offices in the trans-border regions and contribute to the funds inter-flow. There are about 500 enterprises with foreign capital in Bryansk Oblast. The major part of them is presented by Belarusian investors (joint venture “Bryanskselmash” CJSC, joint venture “Gomel — Bryansk — Avtoremont” and some others). Enterprises from Bryansk Oblast in their turn invest the capital in Belarus. For example, enterprise “Teplomontazh” opened its office in Gomel that deals with the design and repair of glassmelters. There is also a positive dynamics in the development of industrial cooperation.
However the work in this direction should be carried out on the inter-governmental and inter-parliamentary levels through the enhancement of possibilities for the delivery of leasing subjects, the running of joint investment projects on  the development of transport infrastructure and natural recourses, the creation of the unified legal base to boost the investment activity etc.
Following the results of the sitting the members of the inter-parliamentary committee came up with a number of initiatives including the address to the governments of both states with a recommendation to establish a committee for the investment policy of the Union State and to conceive a draft agreement on the stimulation and mutual protection of investments. It was also agreed to hold the 6th sitting of the inter-parliamentary committee in April 2008 in Vitebsk.
In the course of the visit to the vehicle border checkpoint “Krasnyj Kamen” located in Zlynka Region of Bryansk Oblast on the Russia-Belarus border the members of the Belarusian delegation made acquainted with the organization of control while public conveyance and transportation of goods through the Belarus-Russia border. They discussed the solutions for problems arising while cargo and vehicle handling on the territory of Russia. |
