Belarus PM: CIS should focus on finding footholds to promote integration

The CIS should focus on finding safeguards and footholds to promote integration, Belarus' Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko said at the online session of the Heads of Government Council of the Commonwealth of Independent States on 12 November, BelTA has learned.

“The CIS and other integration associations should pay special attention to finding safeguards and footholds to promote growth in our region and to boost the further integration,” Roman Golovchenko said. He believes that the established free trade zone for goods is of particular importance as it offers favorable conditions for economic growth.

“Under the Belarusian chairmanship, the CIS member states keep actively working on the free trade agreement covering services. We hope that the agreement will be signed in the near future. This will give an additional impetus to sustainable economic growth in the interests of the CIS countries given the opportunities offered by the comprehensive free trade zone,” the Belarusian head of government emphasized.

Roman Golovchenko said that the agenda of the meeting includes a large package of documents aimed at the further development of the CIS. It includes a comprehensive action plan for 2021-2025 to implement the interstate program of innovative cooperation up to 2030, the concept of strategic development of railway transport until 2030, an action plan for the CIS Year of Folk Art and Cultural Heritage in 2022, and others. "All this testifies to the great potential of the CIS and its large-scale agenda. At the same time, given the fast-paced developments in the world the CIS needs to consciously adjust and search for the most effective solutions," the prime minister emphasized.

The Belarusian head of government also touched upon the epidemiological situation: "It has a great impact on the economic stability of the countries, the well-being of citizens, health and human lives. Unfortunately, we have not yet managed to curb the spread of coronavirus, despite the summer decline. In a number of countries, including the CIS, we see a new steady increase in the number of cases with a much greater number of severe cases. The situation, in his opinion, is aggravated by the mutation of the virus, its constant adaptation to new drugs and treatment regimens.

"I believe that we responded very well, promptly took a number of comprehensive measures, including preemptive ones, and supported each other during this very difficult time. Taking into account the projected development of the situation, I suggest we continue coordinating our policies and supporting each other to ensure the sustainable operation of our economies and healthcare systems," Roman Golovchenko emphasized.