Supreme State Council of Union State held in Moscow

2 июля 2017

By Andrei Krivosheev: Last week, Moscow hosted the 4th Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia, as well as the long-awaited Supreme State Council of the Union State.

Both events underscored unity of the two countries. The key topic was high technologies, science and innovation. Belarus was especially interested in the extent to which Russia is keeping to the agreements signed in Saint Petersburg earlier in April. The agreements deal with the equally profitable oil and gas prices, the formation of a single hydrocarbon market, and the equal participation of Belarusian exporters in government purchases and support programmes in Russia.

Of the 9 items of the Supreme State Council’s agenda, 7 were immediately adopted, and additional debates were required only on two issues - machine building and the agro-industrial complex. Engineering Ministers reported on the successes achieved - new equipment and new engines for quarry equipment were launched. There is now an agreement on the level of localization, which specifies how many components should there be in a combine harvester or a tractor to consider it local and to include it in state purchases and subsidies. Also, a coherent industrial policy in this area was agreed on.

A solution has also been found for the most sensitive issue of the past year - the food supplies. Up until now, 25 Belarusian enterprises are discriminated against in the Russian market. The solution was found in the figures - in a single electronic certificate of quality and safety, as well as in an integrated electronic system of accounting supplies. On 1 August, all Belarusian producers will go online.

Also, the Supreme State Council completely removed the restrictions on the supply of eggs, vegetable oil and flax. Today, they are in short supply in Russia.

Another issue that was discussed was introduction of allied innovative developments and the return on investment. From its experience, Belarus proposes to control each union ruble, and invest in super-profitable space-, bio- and nanotechnologies, genetics, and the nuclear sector.

The Russian side also added to this list pharmaceutics and medicine, including stem cell technologies, new composites for space and engineering, high-speed trains and even the first mass laptop with a processor produced domestically. The Russian President noted that the plans are ambitious, but this is what strategic allies are for - to help each other to move ahead, in spite of local disasters, both natural and man-made.

The most popular initiative of the Supreme State Council was the abolition of mobile roaming, so that Belarusians and Russians do not go bankrupt, using telephones and gadgets in the union space. The initiative is long-awaited, mobile operators are not enthusiastic, and they are already counting the profits they will lose. But for common citizens, this will be another argument in favour of the Union State, together with open borders or social guarantees.