Minsk to host session of Union State PA on 28 June

MINSK, 24 May (BelTA) – A regular session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Belarus-Russia Union State will be held in Minsk on 28 June, Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Vladimir Andreichenko said as he met with State Secretary of the Union State Grigory Rapota on 24 May, BelTA has learnt.

“The session of the Parliamentary Assembly will take place in Minsk on 28 June,” Vladimir Andreichenko said. He added that the agenda was not finalized yet. However, the Union State MPs are expected to discuss the role and place of mass media in the Union State integration. Top on the agenda will also be execution of the Union State budget and implementation of the crime combating program.

Vladimir Andreichenko expressed confidence that the Union State will gain momentum and the MPs will contribute to that. The speaker emphasized that Belarus attaches great importance to integration that is viewed as a powerful instrument to respond to modern day threats. He added that the Union State has come up with a unique collaboration mechanism. The Union State takes credit for helping create the Customs Union and the Single Economic Space. Vladimir Andreichenko believes that one should not set the Union State against Eurasian integration for many reasons. First of all, the Union State is a more advanced integration project that has gone beyond economic cooperation to encompass collaboration in the military, defense and social fields. “We should not lose our gains,” the speaker said.

Grigory Rapota noted that he attaches great importance to contacts with MPs. He emphasized that the Union State came up with a remarkable procedure of program implementation that cannot be found in any other integration projects.

The State Secretary added that the program approval mechanism in the Union State is still pretty complicated. Grigory Rapota is going to put forward a number of proposals to streamline the mechanism. He emphasized that the Union State should place a greater focus on joint projects.

The expenditure side of the 2012 Union State draft budget makes up RUB4,872 million. Budgetary funds will be allocated to finance 13 programs and 26 projects.