OREANDA-NEWS  On 10 June was announced, that during the chairmanship at the EurAsEC, Belarus is aimed at implementing the strategic avenues of the cooperation, Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky noted during a session of the EurAsEC Interstate Council in Moscow on June 9.

As for the avenues of the cooperation, Sergei Sidorsky noted the work on formation of the Customs Union, the integration in the production sector of the economy, the creation of the united energy market and the united transport area.

The Belarusian Premier noted that the EurAsEC member countries are integrated in the world economy. The cooling of economic boom in the EurAsEC countries has been caused by the decline in economic activity of their trade partners.

According to Sergei Sidorsky, in January-April 2009, GDP growth in Belarus slowed down to 101.2% as against the same period last year. The biggest recession was registered in the industrial branch.

Belarus is interested in carrying out a joint and coordinated policy in scientific and technological areas, said Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky. Belarus is actively promoting innovation development, Sergei Sidorsky said. “In order not to fall behind global leaders, we have to bring together all the available resources and use them to the full extent at present and in the future,” the Belarusian Premier said. This is the major objective of the EurAsEC interstate targeted programme on innovative biotechnologies initiated by Belarus.

Belarus’ development vector will remain unchanged. The country will still continue its policy of taking care of people in budget spending and will preserve virtually the same amount of funding for healthcare and education programmes, said Sergei Sidorsky.
The vector will remain unchanged even despite the more complicated economic situation. Sergei Sidorsky remarked that large countries with a capacious home market such as Russia, China and the USA stimulate the home market to reduce the effect of the falling foreign demand. However, major financial resources are required to pursue the policy of stimulating the domestic demand. “Our country does not have such resources. This is why we have to pursue the policy of curtailing government expenses, optimising Government programmes and other ones, using foreign loans for specific goals,” said Sergei Sidorsky.

Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky believes it is important to preserve existing ties between the EurAsEC states.

“It is important to preserve existing ties and relations between the EurAsEC member-states not only for addressing current problems but also as the basis for future development,” Sergei Sidorsky said.

Belarus’ actions in EurAsEC taken to minimise the influence of the global crisis are aimed at resolving two primary tasks. The first one is ensuring mutual payments in foreign trade for the sake of preventing payment arrears and all the accompanying negative consequences. The second task is preserving the existing manufacturing cooperation ties between economic entities, preventing restrictions in the mutual trade because such decisions can affect thousands of jobs created over years of integration, said the Belarusian Premier.

The Prime ministers of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan have approved the draft of the unified customs tariff. Such decision was passed during a session of the EurAsEC Interstate Council in Moscow on June 9.

The unified customs tariff will be introduced before the heads of state. It is expected to come into force on January 1, 2010.

The session has already approved the proposals concerning the stages and terms of formation of the united customs area of the three countries. Those stages and terms have been determined based on the assumption that the Customs Union will start to operate since January 1, 2010 and all the necessary procedures will be completed till July 1, 2011, Sergei Sidorsky noted.

Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan will join the World Trade Organization as a single customs area, says the statement of the Prime Ministers of the three countries adopted at the session of the EurAsEC Interstate Council. According to the statement, the process of acceding to the WTO has been impeding integration. Therefore a decision was taken to notify the World Trade Organization about the intention of the Customs Union of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan to engage in the relevant negotiations.

According to Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky, Belarus confirms its intention to join the organization, but now the country’s position will be coordinated with the other members of the Customs Union.

The EurAsEC Interstate Council has approved the agreement on anti-crisis fund, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin noted after the session of the EurAsEC Interstate Council. According to the Russian Prime Minister, the anti-crisis fund has started to operate this year. This fund will be used to provide stabilization loans and finance the interstate investment projects. Vladimir Putin noted that Russia’s share will make up the biggest part of fund’s authorized capital - USD 7.5 billion from USD 10 billion.

Vladimir Putin also informed that Russian Vice Premier, Finance Minister Aleksey Kudrin has been appointed Chairman of the EurAsEC Anti-Crisis Fund Council.

The session has also approved the plan of the joint measures of the EurAsEC member countries to overcome the global financial crisis. The sides also approved the concept on creation of the EurAsEC High-Tech Centre. The EurAsEC High-Tech Centre is expected to start to operate this year. The session has also approved the plan of the measures timed to the 10th anniversary of the EurAsEC Interstate Council.

“We managed to reach really tangible results. We had serious talks,” Vladimir Putin noted.