More than 90% of the measures for the implementation of 28 joint programs have been implemented. This was announced today in Moscow at the Union Council of Ministers. In total on the agenda 11 issues. Prior to the discussion with the ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers, the integration was considered in detail by the Prime Ministers one-on-one. The trade turnover of the two countries this year may exceed last year's $50 billion. The Belarusian side is confident that we will maintain such growth rates. Comprehensive expansion of cooperation is going on in all directions.
Roman Golovchenko, Prime Minister of Belarus:
It is already obvious to us that external attempts to disorganize the union construction have failed, as well as many others. Belarus and Russia have united and are confidently moving along the creative course set by the leaders of our countries. Macroeconomic indicators of Russia and Belarus confirm that the two countries are on the trajectory of sustainable growth. Measures aimed at stimulating the development of production and sales are being implemented.
The Prime Minister emphasized that only this year joint assembly plants of agricultural machinery have been established in Krasnodar Krai, Novosibirsk Region, Tatarstan. The presence of Russian business in Belarus is growing at an equally active pace.
Golovchenko informed that in the first half of the year the volume of Russian investments in the real sector of the Belarusian economy increased by a third compared to last year and amounted to more than 70% of all foreign investments.
