Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk attended a meeting of the High-Level Group of the Council of Ministers of the Union State of Russia and Belarus.
The collaborative process
aimed at strengthening the trade and economic cooperation between Russia and Belarus was discussed at the
meeting, which was held via videoconference. The parties worked on ways to lift
barriers on transactions between enterprises, strengthening the chains of
supply for goods and services, expanding import substitution programmes, and
further integrating information systems as part of promoting economic
integration.
The list of
cooperation issues discussed at the meeting included the development of
cooperation in industry, banking, digital and the communications spheres. The
meeting was focused on the implementation process of Resolution No. 3 of the
Supreme State Council of the Union State On Roaming Cancellation in the Union State,
dated 30 June 2017.
While discussing the
mutual recognition of banking guarantees in the implementation of state
(municipal) procurement, the progress of the pilot project on the participation
of Belarusian banks in the process of state (municipal) procurement in the
Russian Federation was discussed. The two countries’ related ministries were
instructed to finish drafting the interngovernmental agreement on the mutual
recognition of banking guarantees until 1 June 2022.
The parties reviewed the terms of supplying lift (elevator) equipment to
the Russian Federation and
the Republic of Belarus. They noted the concerted effort
of the Eurasian Lift Association. The relevant ministries prepared a draft
resolution by the Russian Government on purchasing lift replacement services
directly from Russian companies under the major repairs programme for
residential buildings. The document focuses on improving the quality of lift
repairs and replacement and provides for the direct responsibility of companies
for the quality of the equipment and the installation and service, including
delivering on their warrantee obligations. Upon analysing the results of this
pilot project, the possibility of spreading it to other regions of the country
will be considered.
The Ministry of Industry of the Republic
of Belarus and the Ministry of
Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation were instructed to organise
regular meetings that will help ensure, on a mutual basis, lift equipment
supplies to the Russian and Belarusian markets.
Work is under way to carry out the plan to install convenient
communications services across the Union State. The participants
in the meeting reviewed the progress in carrying out the Resolution on Terminating
Roaming Service on the Territory of the Union
State of Russia
and Belarus, No. 3, dated
June 30, 2017, which was approved by the Supreme State Council of the Union State.
It was noted that thanks to the significant reduction in roaming charges, the number
of Russian mobile phone provider subscribers using calling services while in Belarus
had climbed 15 percent; incoming voice traffic increased by 50 percent, and outgoing
voice traffic and short message traffic had doubled, and there had been a 1.6-fold
increase in internet traffic.
The
parties instructed the Russian Ministry of Digital Development, Communications
and Mass Media and the Belarusian Ministry of Communications and Information
Technology to work with the mobile communications providers in the two
countries that charge for roaming on incoming calls within the Union State
to waive this practice starting April 1, 2022.
