Mikhail Mishustin and Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Turchin co-chaired a meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Union State. A number of documents were signed following the meeting.
Opening remarks by Mikhail Mishustin
Opening remarks by Alexander Turchin
Excerpt from the transcript:
Mikhail Mishustin: Mr Turchin, Mr Glazyev, friends, colleagues,
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Union State
Mikhail Mishustin with Prime Minister of Belarus Alexander Turchin
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Union State
Mikhail Mishustin and Prime Minister of Belarus Alexander Turchin at a meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Union State
Mikhail Mishustin at a meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Union State
Prime Minister of Belarus Alexander Turchin at a meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Union State
Ceremony to sign a Memorandum between the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Belarus on cooperation in the construction of the Moscow-Minsk high-speed railway line. Mikhail Mishustin, Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation Andrei Nikitin, Prime Minister of Belarus Alexander Turchin, and Minister of Transport and Communications of Belarus Alexei Lyakhnovichанспорта
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Union State
I am pleased to welcome the participants to the 56th meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Union State. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Belarusian friends for their traditional hospitality and excellent organisation of the events.
Acting on the instructions issued by our respective Presidents, Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko, we are continuing our systematic efforts to create a common socioeconomic, scientific and technological, cultural and humanitarian space within the borders of the Union State.
We are seeing tangible results from Russian-Belarusian integration. Our citizens enjoy equal rights and guarantees in healthcare, education, social security, and pensions.
The bilateral trade is growing steadily as well and exceeded 4 trillion Russian roubles last year. It continues to grow.
Cooperation ties are being strengthened to develop high-tech industries. We look forward to the “Made in the Union State” designation, which is being assigned to jointly manufactured products, becoming a universally recognised mark of quality, including in international markets. Our enterprises will also expand cooperation in promising areas, including high-tech fields such as shipbuilding, aircraft manufacturing, outer space research, the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and electronics, to name a few.
Without a doubt, our cooperation is not limited to these areas.
Following the instructions issued by our respective presidents, a set of measures has been drafted to deepen integration over the next three years. Our priorities include strengthening our common economic space, coordinating industrial and agricultural policies, digital development, and implementing the tasks set by the presidents in the financial and energy sectors and, of course, in healthcare, culture, education, and many other areas that directly affect the well-being of our citizens.
We are paying special attention to our young people and creating proper conditions to ensure that young men and women in Russia and Belarus have everything they need to acquire a good profession, realise their talents, and contribute to the development of our countries. This is the purpose of the draft Union State Youth Policy Strategy, which we are considering today. The document will be submitted to our Presidents for them to sign it. I am confident that it will give another boost to our joint efforts in this important area.
To give our citizens more opportunities to communicate, we are continuing to develop a common transport space. In April, new integrated cross-border commuter services were launched on the Smolensk-Orsha and Smolensk-Vitebsk routes. Over the past five months, 55,500 passengers have used these services, which is more than double the figure planned for all of 2026.
It is time to move on to the next stage. We are also considering such popular routes as Velikiye Luki–Vitebsk and Velikiye Luki–Polotsk. These projects will boost the socioeconomic development of neighbouring regions, and strengthen business ties and direct contacts between the Union State citizens.
The same applies to the construction of the Moscow-Minsk high-speed railway line. The Russian and Belarusian transport ministries are about to sign a memorandum of cooperation on this project. The transition to high-speed rail will reduce transit times between the Russian and Belarusian capitals from seven hours to three. I am sure many people will appreciate this opportunity.
Colleagues, friends,
Our agenda is packed. We will consider ways to strengthen trade and economic cooperation, discuss the implementation of the Union State scientific and technical programmes, and coordinate our approaches to planning the work of the Union State’s integration bodies.
The most significant decisions approved following the meeting will be submitted for approval by President Putin and President Lukashenko.
Thank you. It is my pleasure to give the floor to Prime Minister of Belarus Alexander Turchin. Over to you.
Alexander Turchin: Mr Mishustin, Mr Glazyev, colleagues. Welcome to the Republic of Belarus.
In the first days of October, the Belarusian capital has become a major integration venue hosting high-level delegations from the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council and participants of the INNOPROM. Belarus Exhibition.
Today, we will make decisions on a wide range of issues falling within the remit of our governments and work through matters to be submitted for consideration by the Supreme State Council.
The key vectors of Belarus-Russia integration are traditionally set by the heads of state. The commonality of their views and approaches to addressing pressing issues in challenging external circumstances makes it possible to implement our joint plans quickly at every level of interaction, from governments down to regions and individual enterprises.
In recent years, Belarus and Russia have clearly shown that the Union State is not a mere declaration but a working mechanism that delivers tangible results in trade, industry, technology, and the social sphere.
The Belarusian and Russian economies are interwoven as never before. We support each other through industrial cooperation, work together to address technological development issues, and ensure that the market is well supplied with food and consumer goods.
Despite the unrelenting pressure, the economies of Belarus and Russia are following a positive growth trajectory. Our close integration has contributed to this resilience as well. This year, bilateral trade continues to set records. In the first eight months of the year, Belarus-Russia trade grew by over 20 percent. Particularly notable is the fact that we have achieved an almost complete balance in the dynamics of mutual supplies.
Trade in services between our countries is growing rapidly as well. The traditional leading sectors are transport, construction, and business and computer services.
A number of core issues to address the strategic objectives of our Union in the near term, primarily consideration of the Key Areas for Implementing the Provisions of the Treaty Establishing the Union State for the next three-year period, will be discussed at today’s meeting.. The document focuses on key areas, such as industrial policy, technological sovereignty, food security, transport, energy, healthcare, and tourism.
Import substitution in the manufacturing industry is the key factor behind the economic security of the Union State. Twenty-four joint import-substitution investment projects are under way. Belarusian MAZ and Russia’s Itelma Group have developed an almost fully localised within the Union State electric bus, using exclusively Belarusian and Russian components. BelAZ and Norilsk Nickel are implementing a promising project to establish a facility for the manufacture and overhaul of underground mining equipment. The project is aimed at replacing imported load-haul-dump machines and mine dump trucks powered by diesel fuel and alternative energy sources. It is, by the way, a strong candidate for “Made in the Union State” status. There should be more projects of this kind, as expanding cooperation in the manufacturing sector directly contributes to improving the competitive nature of our products.
The Union State Committee for Standardisation and Quality was established not long ago. It will filter out substandard products and help remove technical barriers to mutual trade. The “Made in the Union State” project has been launched, with the BelAZ mining dump truck and MAZ buses being the first products to obtain this designation. It is now important to impart this status with real substance. This could include ensuring equal access for Union State products to government, municipal and corporate procurement in both countries, special lending terms, and more.
We are continuing cooperation in agriculture. Our respective agriculture ministries have reached an understanding on a common agricultural policy agreement. We expect the document to be signed before the end of the year. First and foremost, this will allow us to begin implementing Union State projects with a view to strengthening food security.
We are also seeing positive dynamics in the transport sector. In the first seven months of this year, more than 9 million tonnes of Belarusian export cargo were transported through Russian ports. This represents an annual increase of almost 8 percent.
Colleagues,
Today’s meeting is geared towards addressing the practical tasks of building the Union State. I expect that the meeting will result in drafting and adopting mutually beneficial decisions that serve the interests of our countries.
Following the meeting, in the presence of Mikhail Mishustin and Alexander Turchin, a Memorandum was signed between the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Belarus on cooperation in the construction of the Moscow-Minsk high-speed railway line.
Signed by:
For the Russian side – Minister of Transport of Russia Andrei Nikitin;
For the Belarusian side – Minister of Transport and Communications of Belarus Alexei Lyakhnovich.
