The presidents of the two countries greeted the forum participants in video addresses.
Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko and Speaker of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus Natalya Kochanova chaired the plenary session of the 11th Forum of Russian and Belarusian Regions.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko sent video addresses to the forum participants and guests.
Vladimir Putin highlighted the important role of region-to-region cooperation in developing the innovative economy of the Union State. The President of Russia noted that achieving these goals requires energetic and creative contributions not only from federal and central authorities but also from the regions.
The President underscored the relevance of holding events in our regions aimed at enhancing the patriotic education of our young people, who must know the truth about the immortal and unparalleled heroism of our fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers. A good example of such joint efforts directly involving our regions, according to him, is the Memory Train project, a regular event promoted by the upper house speakers of the two parliaments.
Alexander Lukashenko, in turn, said that the forum has long been a good tradition linking the past, present and future of the peoples of Belarus and Russia. He highlighted the upcoming celebration of the 80th anniversary of Belarus’s liberation from Nazi invaders. “One of the main lessons that we learned from that terrible war is that fraternal peoples must always be together, to overcome emerging challenges and defend their countries while being guided by their traditions and values. Only together can we ensure the safety and well-being of our people.”
The President of Belarus believes that active involvement of the regions is crucial for building an innovative economy, and that creating high-tech industrial facilities there will help resolve social problems through keeping human resources in place and attracting young people to industry.
As Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko pointed out in her remarks, over the 25 years since the creation of the Union State, the two nations have reached an unprecedented level of cooperation across the board. “This is clearly indicated, among other things, by the 28 union programmes we are implementing. Due to those programmes, we have made significant progress in harmonising our laws and have formed a clear legal and regulatory framework for a common economic space. Of course, integration this deep would not have been possible without our leaders’ principled approaches and personal will. They have been able to create a truly unique format of cooperation, which has no analogues in the world.”
The Federation Council Speaker emphasised the importance of adopting the Strategy for the Scientific and Technological Development of the Union State until 2035 earlier this year. The document outlined the entire range of high-potential areas for cooperation, from the development of high-tech medicine and artificial intelligence to innovative engineering and mega-science projects. The further development of industrial cooperation between Russian and Belarusian companies, especially the aircraft industry, remains an unconditional priority, according to Valentina Matvienko. The Union State’s decree on implementing the unified industrial policy, adopted in January, effectively equalised the status of Russian and Belarusian products, she added.
The Speaker of the Federation Council specifically mentioned programmes to train highly qualified professionals. “We are consistently moving towards building a single educational space. The Union State Award for Young Scientists has been established. The architecture of a new university is being developed – the Union State Network University of High Technologies. However, with all the due attention to the higher education segment, we should not forget about strengthening the positions of secondary vocational education, primarily in the high-tech field,” she said. According to her, work has already begun on the integration of the two countries’ programmes and approaches in this field.
The Federation Council Speaker proposed launching a tradition of holding thematic years in the Union State, and suggested declaring 2025 the Year of Youth. She pointed out the importance of projects such as the Memory Train for enabling future generations to maintain strong friendly ties, which has always been the case between the two nations.
Valentina Matvienko thanked her Belarusian colleagues for the excellent organisation of the Forum of Regions at each of the venues in three cities.
Natalya Kochanova commended this year’s Forum of Regions for its unprecedented scale. “The importance of this dialogue platform in the history of parliamentarism, interstate and region-to-region cooperation between Belarus and Russia can hardly be overestimated. Obviously, each year’s edition is a significant event that arouses wide interest in the international community. This is the format of strategic cooperation that we are proud of and a valuable asset of both nations.”
She noted that this year, the forum was also attended by international organisations. Representatives of the Commonwealth of Independent States and its Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, the Eurasian Economic Commission, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation participated in the discussions for the first time. “This is not just a recognition of this format of cooperation being a success; it is evidence of its steadily growing role in the institutional system of the Union State, as well as in deepening the Belarusian-Russian integration.”
Natalya Kochanova said that this year, the Forum of Regions again broke the record for the value of contracts concluded, which was close to 30 billion Russian roubles. More than 250 documents have been signed. “Our countries are ready to cooperate even more intensively, as is evident from the main guidelines for the implementation of the Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State for 2024−2026. This document focuses on the joint development of the real sector of the economy. This means that the coming years will see breakthroughs in various industries, such as machine tool building, mechanical engineering, and aircraft construction.”
Natalya Kochanova mentioned the creation of a single science and technology space among the Union State priorities. To do that, the two countries will need to ensure mutual access to research results, harmonise the appropriate regulatory framework, ensure technology transfer, and create a flexible, clear and uncomplicated system for comprehensive examination of innovative products. She also proposed thinking about an inventory of innovations that are already in use in each of the countries through a multifunctional digital platform, as well as creating an Expert Council on Industry. She also proposed dedicating the next thematic year in the Union State, if approved, to science.
Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko noted that the Forum of Regions is an excellent dialogue platform that contributes to the expansion of partnership between Russia and Belarus. “Russian-Belarusian cooperation has always spurred on the development of science and technology since Soviet times, and in modern conditions, we need to make the most of the two countries’ capabilities to expand and improve the scientific, technological and research space of the Union State.” The Deputy Prime Minister proposed dedicating the next thematic year of the Union State to young scientists.
Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Anatoly Sivak believes that cooperation between the two countries in science, technology and innovation has contributed to the positive dynamics of the social and economic ties and has promoted trade between the countries for years.
State Secretary of the Union State Dmitry Mezentsev focused on the further improvement of the regulatory framework for deepening integration processes.
Also attending the event were Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Yury Vorobyov and Deputy Speaker of the Council of the Republic Sergei Khomenko.
Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture Lilia Gumerova reported on the results of the breakout sessions. Other speakers at the plenary session included Minister of Energy of Belarus Viktor Karankevich, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Alexander Subbotin, Governor of the Rostov Region Vasily Golubev, Chairman of the Gomel Regional Executive Committee Ivan Krupko, Speaker of the Moscow City Duma Alexei Shaposhnikov, Chairman of the Brest Regional Council of Deputies Igor Brilevich, Governor of the Leningrad Region Alexander Drozdenko, and Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Vladimir Gusakov.
At the end of the plenary session, the Final Document was adopted, and eight agreements on cooperation were signed between the Government, regional executive committees, regional councils of deputies of the Republic of Belarus and the executive and legislative bodies in Russian regions.
According to Valentina Matvienko, the 12th Forum of Russian and Belarusian Regions will be held in Nizhny Novgorod in 2025.
The 11th Forum of Russian and Belarusian Regions, themed The Role of Interregional Cooperation in Developing the Innovative Economy of the Union State, was held in three Belarusian cities – Vitebsk, Polotsk and Novopolotsk. The event included nine breakout sessions that brought together Russian senators and their Belarusian colleagues, representatives of the Russian and Belarusian regions, relevant ministries and agencies, municipal authorities of the two countries, as well as of business, science and culture.