At the XI Forum of the Regions of Belarus and Russia in June 2024 in Vitebsk, Mikhail Rusy, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus on Legislation and State Building, noted that "the shortest and most effective way of cooperation between Belarus and Russia is region with region."
Interregional cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus is one of the key areas of bilateral cooperation. In this way, a wide range of trade and economic tasks are being solved, close cooperation in the humanitarian sphere is being implemented, legislation is being harmonized and manufacturers are cooperating. And the volume of interpersonal contacts is simply increasing, which is also important.
More than 80 regions of the Russian Federation maintain stable trade and economic ties with Belarus. Only in 2023, over 90 official delegations from more than 50 constituent entities of the Russian Federation paid working visits to Belarus, including 38 headed by governors.
One of the most important priorities of cooperation with Russia for Belarus is logistics.
An effective mechanism is personal meetings of the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko with the heads of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Only in July of this year, the Head of State met with the governors of the Amur Region, Primorsky Krai, and the head of the Chuvash Republic.
The meeting with the Governor of the Amur Region of Russia, Vasily Orlov, gave a new impetus to cooperation in industry, agriculture, and construction. Today, 25 percent of combine harvesters and 40 percent of tractors of Belarusian production are used in agriculture in the Amur region. The governor proposed to create a multi-brand center for agricultural and industrial machinery in the region.
Meetings of representatives of Russian regions with Belarusian partners are held on a regular basis. They are aimed at achieving concrete practical results, primarily in the economic sphere.
For example, Belarusian components are used at 25 Russian car factories, including such industry giants as KamAZ and AvtoVAZ. The Union State's aircraft manufacturing complex is developing, with joint production of the light 19-seat Osvey aircraft. The Soyuz Machine project has been launched. A number of import substitution projects have been financed at the level of the two states. Russia and Belarus are implementing joint programs in the sphere of industry and the agro-industrial complex, providing for import substitution in mechanical engineering along with seed production and livestock farming. In 2024, Russian regions purchased over four thousand units of agricultural machinery produced in Belarus.
An effective tool for interregional cooperation is the implementation of the Union State programs. From 2021 to 2023, 28 union programs were implemented, which outlined the priorities of the economic integration of Belarus and Russia and continue to implement the task of conducting a concerted coordinated policy in the field of education, culture, tourism, sports, humanitarian and patriotic spheres. A number of new similar roadmaps are expected to appear.
One of the most important priorities of cooperation with Russia for Belarus is logistics. This year, the first shipments were launched along the North-South transport corridor: along the Eastern Branch, the Western and the Trans-Caspian route. Belarusian transport companies have opened new markets in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The port for transshipment of Belarusian goods, which is planned to be built in the Murmansk region, will give a synergistic development effect to both countries. Other important agreements have been reached in the field of transport and logistics.
More than 80 Russian regions maintain stable trade and economic ties with Belarus
In 2023, the trade turnover between our countries reached another record - 54 billion dollars. The trade turnover for the first half of 2024 amounted to $25.1 billion and increased by 6.4 percent compared to the first half of 2023.
Sanctions pressure, logistical complications, and high competition in the Russian market affect joint cooperation. Some projects have been frozen due to the need to purchase equipment from unfriendly countries. Belarusian manufacturers face the strongest competition from China and other countries in the Russian market. We have to constantly adapt to new logistical conditions and look for options for cargo delivery. These risks sometimes create certain difficulties in deepening cooperation and interaction, but they are solvable.
It should be noted that at the moment we see a pronounced trend towards deepening strategic partnership and alliance as part of implementing a unified industrial policy supported at the highest level.
As a result, regionalism dictates to us the need to expand dialogue in the interests of peoples, which, among other things, can be provided by the forces of expert diplomacy. The experience of cooperation between Belarus and Russia in the field of regional cooperation can become an example of successful practice of cooperation not only between the two states, but also be adapted and scaled in the EAEU space, in the future - the SCO and BRICS.