Almost 500 representatives from over fifty Russian regions. All regions of Belarus and Minsk. After two years of work online, the largest negotiation platform of the Union State has gone offline. Today, the Forum of the Regions of Belarus and Russia started in Grodno. It is already the ninth in a row.
The topics of the IX Forum of Regions are vast: from integration in the agro-industrial complex to cooperation in the field of education. Undoubtedly, it is customary to evaluate the success of the Forum by the amount of contracts signed. Let me start with it. It is estimated at 2.5 billion Belarusian rubles. As to the forum as a whole, there are 6 sections running since 9:00. I would like to focus on science.
The advanced scientific developments should become the basis of products alternative to Western analogues. Import substitution today as never before in the period of unprecedented sanctions pressure on our countries is the number one issue.
Individual union projects were presented at the exhibition in the science and technology park of the Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno. Kupala, including a mockup of a real size space module. There are also the results of scientific and technical programs of the Union State, promising projects in IT-technologies, medicine, biotechnology, power engineering, mechanical engineering and agriculture. We expect the signing of the agreement by scientists, as well as new roadmaps and memorandums today in the near future.
Cooperation is important in all directions. We need to work quickly and simultaneously. The incentive to do it together served 28 union programs signed by the presidents of the two countries in the fall of 2021. They promise to tell you more about the progress of their implementation.
Now at a forum a small break. In the afternoon there will be joint business and youth councils, and a meeting of the inter-parliamentary commission.
