Minsk session of Union State Council of Ministers to become momentous event of late 2008
A session of the Union State Council of Ministers in Minsk should become a momentous event of late 2008, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky said as he met with State Secretary of the Union State of Belarus and Russia Pavel Borodin in Minsk on September 19.
He noted that the session of the Union State Council of Ministers scheduled for October 6 will feature more than 15 issues. “The objectives set together with Russia’s Premier Vladimir Putin are being fulfilled,” Sergei Sidorsky underlined. He added that today it is necessary to address certain issues that require consideration.
The Belarusian Prime Minister said that he and Vladimir Putin agreed to increase the 2009 budget by 20%. “It is not a limit: if necessary, the budget can be increased even further. In order to do that we should cooperate more actively with ministries,” the Belarus’ Premier underlined. The tasks set by the Belarusian and Russian Heads of Government should be fulfilled exactly, he added.
State Secretary of the Belarus-Russia Union State Pavel Borodin noted that together with a 20% increase and what will be left from 2008, the Union State budget will amount to RUB7-8 billion.
The session of the Union State government is to consider restructuring of debt related to diesel auto industry programme.
Pavel Borodin praised the work of the task groups, customs committees of Belarus and Russia, the Interior and Defense Ministries. Yet, a number of other ministries, including the Economy and Agriculture Ministries, do not work together. As a result of it, only 60% of the Union State budget was used.
Pavel Borodin pointed out the slow progress in the implementation of projects on pharmaceutical production and waste disposal. All these issues are to be discussed by the Union State Council of Ministers which should give an impetus to their implementation, he underlined.
