BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

29/06/2007

Russia-Belarus ties get to new level - premiers

MOSCOW, June 29 (Itar-Tass) - Russia and Belarus have outlined new joint programs, including a program for remote sensing of the Earth from outer space, the Russian and Belarussian prime minister, Mikhail Fradkov and Sergei Sidorsky, told reporters at a joint news conference on Friday.

"At a joint session of the Council of Ministers (of the Russia-Belarus Union State) we confirmed that joint programs are working," Sidorsky explained. "Some programs need a decision of the Union government, in particular as concerns the sensing of the Earth from outer space. We actively work with Russia in this high-tech sphere," he stressed.

Within the next two years the countries expect to come up with first concrete results, he said. They agreed to coordinate, develop and approve programs within a shorter period of time, as well as allocate budget money for their implementation.

Fradkov, for his part, stated "a qualitatively new level of cooperation" between the two former Soviet republics at the present moment. It has become meaningful and businesslike, he believes. However, the two countries "are facing manifestations of bureaucracy, which were not noticeable" earlier, he regretted. He believes bureaucracy must be reduced to minimum in the drawing up of union programs.

Among the programs "critically important for an efficiently functioning common space" he listed innovation programs and programs for the common borders.

At the news conference, the Russian prime minister reiterated his appeal to the Belarussian side "to join efforts aimed at building common space and a union state". He said talks had been constructive and businesslike.

Source:

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11676118&PageNum=0