Russia-Belarus Union State budget lifted by 38% to 6.5 bln Russian rubles

MINSK. Sept 13 (Interfax) - The Russia-Belarus Union State budget has been increased 38% to 6.5 billion Russian rubles, Speaker of the Belarusian National Assembly's House of Representatives Vladimir Andreichenko said on Tuesday.

"Overall, next year's budget has been increased by 38% to 6.5 billion Russian rubles," Andreichenko said on the Belarusian state-run television channel Belarus 1.

"Five programs are being implemented within the Union State budget, and another four programs and three projects have been planned for next year. These are the programs for military-technical cooperation, cooperation in bio-technologies, renovation of the Brest Fortress, and some others," he said.

"It's not easy to reach agreement with [our] Russian colleagues, and we frequently have disputes. Meetings of the Parliamentary Assembly Council are always prepared by commissions. We used to have 12 of them, now their number has grown to 14. So, every matter is scrutinized before it is addressed by the Council or a meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly," Andreichenko said.