Mikhail Mishustin held talks with Prime Minister of Belarus Alexander Turchin. Their meeting was part of the official visit by head of the Belarusian Government to Russia.
Mikhail Mishustin with Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Turchin
Mikhail Mishustin with Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Turchin
Mikhail Mishustin with Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Turchin
Russian-Belarusian talks
Russian-Belarusian talks. Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Turchin
Mikhail Mishustin during the Russian-Belarusian talks
Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Turchin during the Russian-Belarusian talks
Mikhail Mishustin with Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Turchin
Mikhail Mishustin: Good afternoon, Mr Turchin. First of all, I want to greet you and all our Belarusian colleagues on the Day of Unity of the Peoples of Russia and Belarus. This holiday symbolises the historical friendship between our fraternal peoples and emphasises the importance of integration in the Union State.
It is important that you make your first foreign visit as head of Government to the Russian Federation. This is one more proof of a special nature of relations between Russia and Belarus.
Your visit is very timely. On March 13, President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko held talks in Moscow. They reached strategic agreements on increasing cooperation in the Union State. And the task of our governments is to ensure a strict and prompt implementation of the decisions taken at the top level.
First of all, we are talking about the main areas of implementing the Treaty on the Union State for the next three years.
We give priority attention to strengthening our trade and economic cooperation. Last year our mutual trade grew by six percent on 2023 and reached new record indexes: 4.5 trillion Russian roubles or almost 163 billion Belarusian roubles.
Despite the exacerbation of illegal sanctions introduced against Russia and Belarus, we are protecting our trade and investments, including mutual investment, from adverse external conditions. We have converted more than 95 percent of financial settlements to national currencies.
We are also speeding up the implementation of joint industrial cooperation projects. Together, we are creating competitive high value-added products and strengthening the technological and industrial sovereignty of our Union State.
We are also working on new hi-tech initiatives. Today, we have discussed this in detail. I am referring to artificial intelligence, digital ecosystems, the use of big data, and unmanned automatic systems. I am confident that the introduction of digital services will in general ensure the development of national economies and boost, which is very important, the quality of life in our countries.
By tradition, we are focusing on humanitarian cooperation. I am referring, specifically, to education. We are working together on creating a common education space designed to train professional personnel for Russia and Belarus.
In the area of culture, Moscow will host the Intervision International Musical Contest. It goes without saying that we invite our Belarusian friends to take part in this event.
In May, we will celebrate the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. This is our common sacred holiday and we sincerely cherish it. We carefully preserve the memory about the feat of valour committed by frontline soldiers and home-front workers during the Great Patriotic War and, of course, we will pass it to the future generations of citizens of Russia and Belarus.
Mr Turchin, colleagues, we have a vast bilateral agenda.
I am pleased to give you the floor.
Alexander Turchin: Thank you, Mr Mishustin. Colleagues,
First of all, I sincerely thank you for inviting me to visit Moscow in a new quality, for the cordial reception extended to our delegation, and for your traditional hospitality. Profiting by this occasion, I would like to thank you again, Mr Mishustin, for your warm greetings and good wishes on my promotion to the prime ministerial position.
As you rightly said, the relationship existing between our countries and peoples is characterised by the fact that the first post-election or post-appointment Belarusian visits are traditionally paid to the Russian Federation. This is clear evidence of the Belarusian-Russian strategic partnership being a high priority and long-term affair.
Last year, Belarus and Russia celebrated important landmark events. I am referring to the 25th anniversary of the Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State and the 30th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship, Good-Neighbourliness and Cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation.
We have approached these anniversaries with important results, something that reaffirms the correctness of the Union State model chosen by the heads of state, a model that is currently one of the shining examples of economic integration not only in the post-Soviet space but also in the world at large. In this connection, we are clearly oriented to implementing the main targets of the Union Treaty for 2024–2026. These documents are our reference point and roadmap for the further construction of the Union State.
Russia is the main trade partner for Belarus. Last year demonstrated record trade results.
You were absolutely right in saying, Mr Mishustin, that this year is when we are celebrating the 80th anniversary of Great Victory. This is certainly a great event. I will tell you honestly that I was again emotionally moved, while laying the floral tribute earlier today. It is our common history and our Great Victory.
Mr Mishustin was quite right in saying that we had a vast agenda before us today. So, I suggest that we come down to discussing it.
Thank you.
