Business news

18 Jan 2019

Belarusian-Russian business council’s proposals to be given further scrutiny

MINSK, 18 January (BelTA) – Initiatives of the Belarusian-Russian business council will be forwarded for scrutiny to the working group that was set up to draw up proposals on the further development of Belarusian-Russian integration. The proposals will also be discussed in the Union State organizations, co-chair of the Belarusian-Russian business council, Director General of the Santa Impex Brest company Alexander Moshensky told reporters on 18 January, BelTA has learned.

When asked about the interaction with the integration promotion group, Alexander Moshensky said: “It was promised that the initiatives of the business council will be forwarded to this group and other Union State organizations. It is important for them, because we know the situation on the ground and the matters we discuss have a practical value.”

According to Alexander Moshensky, the business council will become a platform to discuss matters of concern to the business communities of the two states, including administrative barriers and joint promotion of business interests in third countries. “There is hope that the position of the business community will be constructive and will be heard. Russia’s Ambassador to Belarus Mikhail Babich shows understanding and willingness to take part in the work of the council. So does Vladimir Semashko. This will bolster the initiatives to be put forward by the council,” he said.

He noted that the existing turbulence in Belarus-Russia relations has an impact on business. “This affects mostly investors who have certain plans. Business operations, cooperation are still in place, because this is about personal contacts that took many years and efforts to forge and there is also a certain system, unless this pertains to a certain business,” he noted.

The Belarusian-Russian and Russian-Belarusian business councils were set up by the chambers of commerce and industry of the two countries in December 2018. There are plans to hold two sessions of the Belarusian-Russian business council and two joint sessions with the Russian-Belarusian business council both in Belarus and in Russia.

According to Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vladimir Ulakhovich, Belarus has developed a set of rules for establishing councils consisting of business people of the two countries. “Our Russian counterparts have a different approach. They set up an initiative group consisting of business people interested in forging contacts with this or that country. We met each other halfway and signed the agreement specifying that the chambers of commerce and industries shall act as guarantors for these councils. We set up the Belarusian part [Belarusian-Russian business council],” he said.