CIS countries have action plan to counteract sanctions - Belarusian deputy PM

MINSK. June 10 (Interfax) - The countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have developed a joint plan to oppose sanctions pressure, Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Petrishenko said.

"To oppose these challenges and the sanctions pressure, a joint response plan has been prepared at Belarus's initiative. Moreover, the Economic Council has endorsed this plan. It is composed of 12 sections covering economic matters, transport, energy, the acceleration of the movement of goods, and the functioning of free trade zones. An emphasis should be placed on the need for us to speed up an agreement on a zone of free trade in services," the Belarusian government press service quoted Petrishenko as saying following the CIS Economic Council meeting in Nur-Sultan on Friday.

It is an important time now for intensifying investment cooperation within the CIS and the Eurasian Economic Union, simplifying technical regulation procedures and customs formalities, Petrishenko said.

He called for attaching particular significance to digitalizing processes affecting the speed of the movement of goods, settling problems disrupting logistical chains, and improving food security.

"The heads of the delegations also reaffirmed an interest in settling food security issues," Petrishenko said.

"It is important to arrange quick logistical delivery and customs clearance procedures, as concerns the functioning of the CIS free trade zone," he said.