MINSK, 5 November (BelTA) – Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a package of documents after the meeting of the Union State Council of Ministers in Minsk on 5 November, BelTA has learned.

The parties discussed various issues, including trade and economic cooperation, the common information space strategy, the abolition of roaming charges and the registration of the status of Union State goods. The agenda included a total of 21 points. “All issues were discussed through the prism of ensuring equal rights of citizens of Belarus and Russia,” said Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko.

The parties approved a draft decree of the Supreme State Council of the Union State on common rules of competition and protection of consumer rights. “This important document brings together the best approaches of Belarusian and Russian consumer protection legislation. Its adoption will contribute to the strengthening and development of the common economic space of the State of the Union and will help our citizens to ensure a high level of protection in the future. We continue to closely monitor the observance of the equal rights of citizens in the territory of the State of the Union so that our people can fully and equally enjoy the benefits that the State of the Union provides in terms of work, health care, guarantees social and others”, said the prime minister.

The parties approved the draft resolution of the Supreme State Council on the plan of activities to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. “The plan includes the most important celebrations in Belarus and Russia to celebrate this sacred holiday for the people of our countries. The main goal is to perpetuate the memory of the contribution of the Soviet people to the Great Victory,” said the Belarusian head. of the government he stressed.

The parties are discussing the issue of granting the status of Union State Goods to products of Belarusian and Russian industrial enterprises. “Experts from both sides will have to develop criteria according to which such products can be classified as Union State goods, determine the sectors to which it will apply, develop a procedure for recognition and assignment of status and resolve a number of issues organizational and protocol. This step is necessary to finally decide on national treatment for all products manufactured in the State of the Union,” emphasized Roman Golovchenko.

Announced the creation of a Union State media company, the approval of its statutes and the composition of the supervisory board. Another important decision concerns the introduction of comfortable tariffs for the use of communication and data transmission services on the territory of the Union State from March 1, 2025.

Another important area of ​​work discussed at the meeting was the development of suburban rail service between the regions of Belarus and the Russian Federation. “Inhabitants of Russia and Belarus are very interested in transport services, especially in border areas. So far a number of decisions have already been made on cross-border intercity rail transport. “This will increase mobility and facilitate people’s travel,” said Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

Another document introduced equal tariffs for the transportation of minerals and construction materials by rail for Belarusian and Russian manufacturers.

Special attention was paid to humanitarian issues. “Here I would like to highlight a number of decisions. We are about to start implementing the scientific and technological development strategy of the State of the Union. We will continue to build a network of universities of the State of the Union specializing in high technologies. It will train people in the most relevant aspects And today the universities that support this platform have been identified: the Kazan Federal University and the Belarusian State Technological University,” reported Mikhail Mishustin.

The parties also signed documents on the progress of the State of the Union Treaty guidelines for 2024-2026 and State of the Union programs, on the results of trade and economic cooperation between Belarus and Russia in 2023 and the accounting period 2024, on some law enforcement issues in the application of the provisions of the State of the Union Treaty in terms of guaranteeing the rights of citizens.

The parties also approved progress reports on the action plan to implement the concept of migration policy of the State of the Union in 2022-2026, on certain measures to counteract the illicit trafficking of tobacco and tobacco products.

A draft decree of the Supreme State Council of the Belarus-Russia Union State “On certain measures to counteract the illegal import of goods into the Union State” was also prepared.

“I am sure that the decisions taken today will help implement the Union State Treaty and contribute to strengthening the economies of Belarus and Russia, improving the standard of living of our citizens,” summarized Roman Golovchenko.