Attention will also be given to identifying possible directions for the implementation of regional policy and analyzing the potential and reserves of Belarusian-Russian cooperation at the regional level
MINSK, June 25 /TASS/. Representatives of the authorities, business and analytical communities of Belarus and Russia will discuss the interaction of the regions of the two countries in small towns and rural settlements development. This was reported to TASS by Olga Lazorkina, an analyst from the Belarusian Institute of Strategic Research which organized the expert platform.
"On June 26, in Vitebsk, on the eve of the XI Forum of the Regions of Belarus and Russia, the Belarusian Institute of Strategic Research traditionally organizes a separate expert platform "Regional cooperation. The Formula of success." As part of the event, it is planned to discuss the specifics of interaction between the regions of Belarus and Russia in the context of small towns and rural areas development, state-business interaction, as well as the implementation of youth policy. The relevant topics on the search for possible growth points, the social sentiments of rural residents, and business prospects will be discussed," she said.
Attention will also be given to identifying possible directions for the implementation of regional policy and analyzing the potential and reserves of Belarusian-Russian cooperation at the regional level.
"The XI Forum of the Regions of Belarus and Russia aims to identify and resolve regional and global issues and problems. It brings together both theorists and practitioners, which is especially important in conditions when science must really meet the demands of the time," Lazorkina noted.
The analyst recalled that in the field of import substitution, Belarus and Russia are starting to move away from simply reducing the dependence of industry on imports, aiming to achieve technological sovereignty. "Sectoral cooperation and cooperation projects with Russian regions have launched a qualitatively new process that will determine the Union State image in economy," she said. "In this regard, the Forum of Regions has gone beyond the dialogue platform. Today, expectations from it are much higher. And it's not just about contracts, but about consolidating the understanding that the new paradigm of economic development and cooperation in the Union State is reaching a level where external factors are still taken into account, but their importance has already noticeably declined."
The Forum of the Regions
The Forum of the Regions of Belarus and Russia is organized annually under the auspices of the upper houses of the Russian and Belarusian parliaments - the Federation Council and the Council of the Republic. This year it will be held on June 27-28 in Vitebsk, Polotsk and Novopolotsk. As part of the Forum, themed "The role of interregional cooperation in building an innovative economy of the Union State", meetings of nine thematic sections, exhibitions and cultural events will be held. The Forum scheduled the meetings of the Heads of the upper houses of the Belarusian and Russian parliaments, Natalia Kochanova and Valentina Matvienko, with the Heads of regional authorities of the two countries, a plenary session, and the signing of cooperation agreements and commercial contracts. Earlier, Mikhail Rusy, member of the Council of the Republic of Belarus, stated that following the Forum results, it is planned to sign contracts worth more than 130 million rubles.
The X Forum of the Regions was held on 26-28 January 2023 in Ufa under the motto "Results and Prospects". It became the biggest platforms in the history of the forums, bringing together about 250 representatives from 47 regions of the Russian Federation and about 500 participants from the Belarusian side. IN the course of the event, more than 100 agreements were signed for a total amount of 110 billion rubles.