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Prime ministers of Belarus, Russia discuss economic cooperation over phone

Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich had a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, on May 18 to discuss issues relating to the planned establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Messrs. Myasnikovich and Medvedev discussed a whole range of crucial issues for bilateral economic cooperation in connection the draft Treaty on the Formation of the Eurasian Economic Union, according to the press office of the Council of Ministers of Belarus.

The presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia are expected to sign the treaty in Astana on May 29.

While discussing the draft with his Kazakh and Russian counterparts in Minsk on April 29, Alyaksandr Lukashenka was manifestly disappointed that it provided for the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union’s common markets of crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas “no later” than 2025.

“The innovative proposal to implement our agreements 10 years from now, by 2025, sounds strange to say the least,” Mr. Lukashenka noted.

There should be no duties and restrictions on the movement of goods within the union, he stressed.

However, Mr. Lukashenka told reporters on May 9 following a meeting with Russian Presixent Vladimir Putin in Moscow the previous day that Belarus would not block the signing of the treaty on May 29. “If we cannot make a big step, we should move forward in small steps,” he explained.

According to Mr. Lukashenka, Russia agreed as a result of the meeting to supply as much crude oil as Belarus needs and gradually abolish the requirement for Belarus to transfer to Russia all export duties that it collects on petroleum products refined from Russian oil. Mr. Lukashenka added that Russia would provide a loan of $2 billion as early as this month to shore up Belarus' gold and foreign exchange reserves. //BelaPAN