Russian govt approves draft agreement with Belarus on common industrial policy

MINSK. Feb 1 (Interfax) - The Russian government has approved a draft agreement with Belarus on the common industrial policy, the respective resolution of January 30, 2023, was published on the Russian official website of legal information.

"Consistent with Paragraph 1 Article 11 of the Federal Law on International Agreements of the Russian Federation, to approve the draft agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Belarus on a common industrial policy, presented by the Russian Industry and Trade Ministry, coordinated with the Russian Foreign Ministry and other interested federal executive agencies, and preliminary discussed with the Belarusian side," the resolution said.

The Russian Industry and Trade Ministry is tasked with holding negotiations with Belarus and, "upon reaching the agreement, sign on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation the aforesaid agreement, while allowing it to make non-essential changes in the enclosed draft," it said.

Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Pyotr Parkhomchik and his Russian counterpart Denis Manturov "agreed on the soonest signing of an intergovernmental agreement on the common industrial policy by the sides."

The Belarusian government approved the draft agreement with the Russian government on the common industrial policy in late November. Minsk was expecting to sign the agreement on the common industrial policy with Russia at the end of 2022, according to earlier reports.

The signing of the documents "would give Russian companies access to the Belarusian market, while Belarusian companies would access the Russian market, above all federal and regional subsidy programs," Belarusian Ambassador to Russia Dmitry Krutoi said in earlier comments on the agreement.