Putin backs idea of establishing Russian-Belarusian interregional forum
MOSCOW. Dec 25 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed the idea of creating a Russian-Belarusian interregional forum.
"We back the initiative of our legislative bodies to establish a Russian-Belarusian interregional forum," Putin said at the session of the Supreme State Council of the Union of Russia and Belarus.
Such cooperation forums now exist only between Russia and Kazakhstan.
Putin said the relations between the regions of Russia and Belarus are intensifying. "Trade between Moscow alone and Belarus exceeded $5 billion in 2012," he said.
Putin later told a press conference that the first session of the Russian-Belarusian interregional forum is scheduled for February 2014.
Speaking about Russian-Belarusian turnover, Putin said the 2013 indicators "are more modest" than the 2012 indicators, but the rate of mutual trade is gradually restoring. "We are hoping to reach good indicators this year. The forecast is some $39.5 billion," the president said.
The president also pointed out that Russia "firmly remains the main investor in the Belarusian economy." "Russia has invested $5.8 billion. Most of these investments are the most valuable investments, direct investments in the system-forming sectors of the Belarusian economy: the gas transportation industry, the processing industry, transport, and communications," Putin said.
Among the largest investment high-tech projects Putin mentioned the construction of a Belarusian nuclear power plant, the formation of the holding Rosbelavto on the basis of KamAZ and MAZ, and cooperation between the companies EuroChem and Grodno Azot.
