OREANDA-NEWS. On May 23, 2008 The CIS Council of the Heads of Government made decisions on all the 20 issues of the agenda of the session which finished in Minsk, Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth Sergei Lebedev told a press conference dedicated to the results of the session. According to him, these issues mainly concerned the economic cooperation. Moreover, participants of the session considered a number of organizational issues. In particular, they adopted the decision regarding the chairmanship in the CIS Council of the Heads of Government, reported the Official website www.government.by.

The CIS Council of the Heads of Government made decisions on all the 20 issues of the agenda of the session which finished in Minsk on May 23, Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth Sergei Lebedev told a press conference dedicated to the results of the session. According to him, these issues mainly concerned the economic cooperation. Moreover, participants of the session considered a number of organizational issues. In particular, they adopted the decision regarding the chairmanship in the CIS Council of the Heads of Government.

Belarus has taken over the chairmanship in the CIS Council of the Heads of Government from Ukraine. “I am sure that Belarus will be a high-performance engine of the Commonwealth in the forthcoming year,” Sergei Lebedev noted. “The CIS Executive Committee is ready for cooperation with all the structures of Belarus,” the official added.

The Commonwealth of Independent States should become one of the world’s most rapidly developing regions, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said at the meeting with the heads of the delegations participating at the session of the CIS Council of heads of Government.

Alexander Lukashenko underlined that “there will be no significant progress unless we carry out all our agreements consistently: the main goal we all pursue is to make the CIS one of the world’s most rapidly developing regions”. The President of Belarus is convinced of the pressing necessity of this objective because the future of our sovereign nations depends on it.

Russia plays a special role in intensifying the activity of the CIS and is a natural locomotive of integration, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said at a meeting with the heads of the delegations.

According to Alexander Lukashenko, the position of Russia with its human, territorial, resource and economic potential is important for implementation of many tasks and projects aimed at promoting economic growth of our countries, improving the living standards of our people. For example, the long-protracted issue is the completion of the formation of the CIS free trade zone. This is a key issue of economic development: “we need to identify single approaches in such areas as transport, power engineering, common market of labour resources, food security.”

The goal of the CIS Council of heads of Government is to come up with practical solutions to enhance the cooperation within the CIS, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said at the meeting with the heads of the delegations participating in the session of the CIS heads of Government in Minsk.

The Belarusian head of state underlined that “we are expected to take practical steps to expand the cooperation within the CIS, to come up with new efficient ways to implement all our plans”. According to Alexander Lukashenko, it chimes with the expectations of our peoples who want the CIS to step up, rather than to break down.

“If we are able to hear each other, willing to find solutions to difficult issues, ready to turn words into practical actions, the CIS will get a second wind, a real additional impulse for the further development”, Alexander Lukashenko said.

The President of Belarus expressed hope that “this session of the CIS heads of Government and the meeting will be held in a businesslike and constructive atmosphere, will contribute to a considerable improvement of multilateral cooperation”. The Belarusian President underlined that the main trends of the interaction are already defined in the CIS further development concept that was approved by the CIS heads of state half a year ago.

According to Alexander Lukashenko, “today, when the reformation process of the CIS is at its climax, it is important that the first objective and probably critical assessment should be given to the work that we have done”. We are united not only by the common past, but also by new joint projects that are being successfully implemented, the President of Belarus noted. According to him, history confirms that together we always achieved greater and more impressive results.

The Commonwealth of Independent States should make its contribution to achieving a multipolar world, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said at a meeting with the heads of the delegations taking part in the session of the CIS Council of the Heads of Government in Minsk.

“The negative trends that have emerged both in the world and in the Commonwealth, show that the steps that we need to take towards each other have been long overdue,” the Head of State said.

As for Belarus’ position, it has remained stable and predictable, aimed at developing mutually beneficial cooperation in order to improve the well-being of our nations, Alexander Lukashenko said.

By intensifying the economic cooperation in the CIS countries we will improve the wellbeing of the CIS nations, Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Timoshenko said at the session of CIS Council of Heads of Government in Minsk on May 23.

This priority was defined at the session of the CIS Council of Heads of Government in 2007, she noted.

There is a need to summarize the work, sign the documents and set out the plans on the CIS further development, the Prime Minister of Ukraine said.

Last year, when Ukraine took the chairmanship in the CIS Council of Heads of Government, a programme of the chairmanship was adopted for the first time. The programme makes the country a driving force helping to achieve the CIS goals.

Yulia Timoshenko marked a high level of preparatory work for the session of the CIS Council of Heads of Government in Minsk and thanked the President of Belarus for assistance.

The resolutions of the CIS Council of the Heads of Government in Minsk will contribute to the objective of further strengthening of multilateral cooperation of the CIS member states, Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Timoshenko said at a session of the council in May 23.

“Changes have taken place in the legislative and executive powers in Ukraine over the past year. But in foreign policy, especially in the area of the CIS cooperation, we always support the intensification of economic cooperation,” Yulia Timoshenko said. A year ago when Ukraine took the chairmanship in the CIS Council of Heads of Government a programme of the chairmanship was adopted for the first time. “I hope that in the future the programmes of chairmanship in the CIS will become the programmes of the Commonwealth in general,” she said.

“It is very good that most proposals of Ukraine have been reflected in the CIS development concept and in the plan of main action to implement it. We hope that they will be used in other documents of the Commonwealth,” Yulia Timoshenko said.

Yulia Timoshenko thanked the participants of the session for the preparedness to develop cooperation in the CIS format. “The issues which are considered today and the resolutions to be taken will help strengthen multilateral cooperation in the CIS, develop the economies of out countries and improve the wellbeing of our citizens,” she said.

The development of the CIS economic development strategy should be completed soon, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky told a session of the CIS Heads of Government Council in Minsk on May 23.

According to the Prime Minister, the optimisation of CIS branch-wise bodies, including the abolition of formal bodies and unification of bodies with similar functions, will allow creating an effective CIS structure.

“Without forming a common interstate innovative space and a high-tech market along with active use of applied scientific researches we will not be able to secure fast economic growth and create an effective competitive economy of the Commonwealth,” he stressed.

Sergei Sidorsky also believes it is important to define prospects of developing bilateral trade and economic relations soon, to work out pinpointed mutually beneficial projects and assist with their implementation. He underscored the preparation and accomplishment of projects in industry, transport and power engineering.

Apart from that, according to Sergei Sidorsky, as the innovations sphere in the CIS states continues developing, efforts aimed at protecting intellectual property grow more and more important.

The Prime Minister of Belarus expressed confidence that decisions to be taken by the Heads of Government Council will contribute to strengthening trade and economic relations between countries, will lay the foundation for further actions in a wide range of cooperation avenues.

According to the official, Belarus believes that expanding cooperation within the CIS is a foreign policy and foreign trade priority. “The Commonwealth plays a significant role in reinforcing cooperation of our sovereign states in various areas, however, economic sphere remains the main direction of realising our national interests,” said Sergei Sidorsky. He also remarked a better competitive ability of economies of CIS states, more active investment efforts, export increase and diversification, the desire to follow the innovative development path will become the foundation for a sustainable economic growth of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The CIS member states need to use more actively the possibilities for mutual investing, Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky noted at a session of the CIS Council of the Heads of Government in Minsk on May 23.

According to him, these possibilities are not used to the full. “The economies of our countries were once part of the single economic complex and therfore they are complementary,” Sergei Sidorsky noted.

The Prime Minister noted that in 2007 the economic situation in the CIS was quite favourable. In the Commonwealth the GDP increased by 9% on average, the production output by 7%, investments in the fixed capital by more than 20%, retail sales by 16-18%.

The high economic growth allowed the CIS countries to increase real wages, incomes and savings of the population.

At the same time, the economic growth in practically all the CIS countries was accompanied by inflation growth. In 2007 a number of the CIS countries recorded a seven-year record high inflation. According to Sergei Sidorsky, the prices for foodstuffs increased significantly on the heels of the increase in the world prices for foodstuffs, reduction of their import and insufficient volume of their output.

The creation of the large-scale free trade regime in CIS should form the basis for closer integration of the national economics of CIS countries, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky said at the session of the CIS Council of Heads of Government in Minsk on May 23.

Last year all CIS countries increased foreign trade. In 2007, the growth of mutual trade in goods in the CIS surpassed the growth of trade with other countries. “As a result, we had an increase in the share of mutual trade in the aggregate trade of the CIS countries”, Sergei Sidorsky said.

Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky has called upon heads of government of other CIS states to determine approaches to innovative cooperation.

In particular, Belarus suggests defining integration avenues in designing and introducing national critical technologies, which ensure the competitive ability of the countries in the global economy. Proposals should be prepared for setting up a single body to coordinate the cooperation in the entire loop “science — technologies — innovations”. Apart from that, a draft interstate programme should be developed to guide innovative cooperation till 2020 and proposals should be put forward for working out an intestate innovative pilot programme “CIS small town”.

Belarus would also like to complete working out the draft CIS Economic Development Strategy as soon as possible. The CIS Economic Council, the Economic Affairs Commission, the CIS Executive Committee should work to ensure the submission of the draft strategy for its approval at the next session of the CIS Heads of Government Council. By late 2008 a draft plan of actions aimed at implementing the strategy should be prepared for its consequent approval by the heads of government. Apart from that, in line with the Heads of Government Council decision of November 22, 2007 the next session of the Council should adopt a document “Priority avenues of CIS member-states’ cooperation in transport industry till 2020”. The development of a complex of joint measures aimed at increasing food security of the CIS states should be completed as well.

The need to agree ways for optimising branch-wise bodies of the Commonwealth is one of the topical proposals Belarus has put forward. Due to various reasons decisions concerning the conversion of branch-wise bodies in such fields as chemistry and petrochemistry, mechanical engineering, support and development of small entrepreneurship, science and technologies have not been fulfilled. In 2007 13 branch-wise cooperation bodies did not hold sessions though the sessions were to have been held on an annual basis.

Belarus believes by late 2008 a package of proposals for reforming branch-wise cooperation bodies should be prepared, the authority of existing CIS bodies should be revised, formal bodies should be abolished, branch-wise bodies with similar functions (oil, gas, chemistry) should be combined.

Belarus also believes it is important to revise the organisation of business forums in the CIS states.

Belarus’ initiatives also touched upon the protection of trademarks. Sergei Sidorsky believes it is important to work out a comprehensive CIS legal base for mutual protection of intellectual property.

CIS states should coordinate issues relating to food security, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky said after a session of the CIS Heads of Government Council in Minsk on May 23.

He noted, the CIS will have to work out joint measures to resolve this complicated issue. Today there are external levers, which push CIS states towards taking domestic decisions and raising prices for imported and exported products, said Sergei Sidorsky. In particular, it is applicable to Russia and Kazakhstan, which are major grain suppliers in the CIS and the world. “Undoubtedly we should coordinate food security issues,” stressed the Prime Minister of Belarus.

According to Sergei Sidorsky, a relevant working party has been set up to prepare a document to address these issues. The document will be presented for consideration of the heads of state in November 2008.

Belarus is ready to share experience with other CIS countries in combating illegal migration, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky told reporters after the session of the CIS Council of the Heads of Government in Minsk on May 23.

Touching upon the issue of the CIS coordinated migration policy, Sergei Sidorsky noted that all the main transport lines of the Commonwealth go via Belarus. “We are fighting against the illegal migration despite the fact it is quite costly for the country,” Sergei Sidorsky said.

An international training center for upgrading qualifications, retraining of the personnel in the migration sector and counteracting the human trafficking has been set up in Minsk. According to the Prime Minister, Belarus will be able to manage the situation after it adopts a migration policy conception. Sergei Sidorsky informed that “our efforts in this direction bring real results”, therefore they can be used by other CIS countries.

The decision on granting the center a status of a basic organization on the relevant training of the specialists in the CIS will give an opportunity to use the international potential in combating illegal migration, the Belarusian Premier underlined.

The draft strategy of the CIS economic development for the period till 2020 will be introduced before the heads of the CIS member states in November, Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky told reporters after the session of the CIS Council of the Heads of Government in Minsk.

“Today we considered approaches and the structure of the strategy,” Sergei Sidorsky noted. During the session the Belarusian side put forward a proposal that deputy ministers of the CIS countries take an active part in development of the strategy in some issues.

“We should make a good document, so we should work actively,” the Belarusian Prime Minister highlighted.

According to Sergei Sidorsky, the cooperation in the transport area and also the issues concerning the food security of the CIS member states should become the key issues of the strategy.

The energy problems in the CIS should be approached using the views of the 21st century, Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky told reporters after a session of the CIS Council of the Heads of Government in Minsk on May 23.

According to him, we should use not only traditional oil and gas but alternative and renewable energy sources as well.

Sergei Sidorsky noted that in the CIS the next year was announced as the Year of Energy. The energy problem is too important for an every CIS country. “Herein we speak not only about those energy sources which are traditional for our states but also about the technologies which can replace them,” the Belarusian Prime Minister noted. According to him, the Commonwealth “should set up the programme which will include the corresponding section”.

The Head of the Belarusian Government noted that for the recent five years Belarus has increased the production volume and GDP by 8-10% a year without expansion of consumption of fuel and power resources. The GDP power intensity is reduced by 7-8% annually. The Belarusian experience will be useful for other CIS member states as well, the Belarusian Prime Minister noted.

The next session of the CIS Heads of Government Council will take place in Chisinau in late October, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky told media summing up results of the session of the CIS Heads of Government Council held in Minsk on May 23.

In his words, according to Sergei Sidorsky the session tabled 20 issues. Virtually all of them touched upon economic cooperation of the CIS states. In particular, prospects of cooperation in transport and energy industries were considered.

Special attention was paid to the progress in fulfilling instructions issued by the CIS Heads of State Council on October 5, 2007 and the CIS Heads of Government Council on November 22, 2007 in order to work out a draft CIS Economic Development Strategy, proposals for coordinated transport policy and the preparation of joint measures aimed at increasing food security of the CIS member-states.

The session also tabled a draft convention on borderline cooperation. It is one of the legal acts meant to form the legal environment for borderline cooperation of the CIS states.

Apart from that, the prime ministers discussed a draft plan of actions aimed at preparing the celebration of the 65th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War Victory, a convention on legal status of labour migrants and their families in the CIS states and other issues.