Snopkov: Belarus-Russia Union State program on common gas market is ready

The Union State program to set up the common gas market of Belarus and Russia is ready, Belarusian First Deputy Prime Minister Nikolai Snopkov said on the air of the Belarus 1 TV channel on 5 September. He expressed hope that the final decision may be taken during the forthcoming meeting of the presidents of the two countries:

(soundbite)

We have found the consensus on all 28 Union State programs. We have reached the finish line. I very much hope that the presidents of the two countries during the meeting on 9 September will review the programs and take the decision.

According to the official, when working on the Union State programs, the main emphasis was placed on the sustainability of the economic development of the two states. Speaking about the industrial and agrarian policies, the first deputy prime minister considers it important to unify the localization of production of Russian and Belarusian goods. “This will contribute to our efforts to implement the president's instruction on import substitution. We must also understand that there will be internal competition, which will stimulate the development of our producers,” he stressed.