English

Moscow Patriarchate’s council calls on Belarus, Russia, Ukraine to devise new “integration ideology”

The Economy and Ethics council of the Moscow Patriarchate has called on Belarus, Russia and Ukraine to devise a new “integration ideology” for their economic relations, as quoted by BelaPAN.

The countries should develop “a new application-oriented business ethics based on values of the Orthodox civilization,” the council said in a statement issued as a result of its meeting in Ukraine’s Kyiv on Thursday.

The ethics will allow the three states to make “an unprecedented breakthrough in the cause of improving ethical standards in business practices, politics and society in general,” the council said.

It suggested that Belarus, Russia and Ukraine could “considerably accelerate” their integration thanks to their shared historic heritage and experience. “An ideology of a new ethical and economic zone is needed for not just relations between the states. It could become an example of building spiritual and economic bridges between other countries in Eastern Europe,” the statement reads.

The council called on the three countries to come up with a “mutually beneficial long-term projects” focusing on cooperation in the ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgical industry, nuclear power generation, agriculture and economic support for educational and humanitarian initiatives.

“Opening access to capital to fund projects in other countries is strategically important,” the council said. “The development of a framework for the participation of large and medium-sized companies in ambitious investment programs could create a totally new basis for strengthening economic relations. Particular attention should be paid to innovation projects.”