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.
