The two business forums this week presided over by Presidents Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko and Nursultán Nazarbáev evidence Moscow’s priorities regarding regional integration.
Although the geopolitical and economic context imposes the search for development alternatives and solutions in view of the crisis and sanctions, regional integration has not ceased to be at the center of Russia’s foreign policy.
While addressing the second Belarus-Russia Interregional Cooperation Forum yesterday, President Vladimir Putin expressed his satisfaction for the stable interaction between the neighboring countries.
Putin recognized that the unfavorable foreign context has a toll on the commercial dynamics; however the flow of goods has not decreased if it is assessed in rubles.
Belarus is our strategic partner and closest ally, said Putin stressing the comprehensive and rising cooperation between Moscow and Minsk.
According to Putin, both states have the necessary strength and willingness to redirect the exchange towards growing in every indicator.
Russia ranks first among Belarus’s economic and commercial partners, with almost half of the Belarus commerce, linked to the 6.3 billion dollars of Russian investments in the country’s economy.
It was equally strategic the bilateral forum with Kazakhstan this week, focused on the coordination between the governments of Moscow and Astana in terms of commerce and food security.
Putin pointed out that the interregional event had a great significance nowadays aid the economic turbulences, the economic collapse and currency instability in both States.
During the forum, Putin announced 460 investment projects in the areas of agriculture, as part of the state program to substitute imports, highly important to stimulate national production.
cbr/lam/oda
PL-16/MNA