Mikhail Mishustin meets with Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Turchin

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 16th International Industrial Exhibition/Fair INNOPROM.

Excerpts from the transcript:

Mikhail Mishustin: Mr Turchin, dear friends, I would like to welcome you once again. I am delighted to see you all here, in hospitable Yekaterinburg, at the International Industrial Exhibition/Fair INNOPROM.

First of all, I would like to ask you to convey the best wishes to President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko from President of Russia Vladimir Putin and myself. And, of course, I would like to warmly congratulate you on the national holiday, the Belarusian Independence Day, celebrated on July 3.

We sincerely value our allied and fraternal relations which are developing in the spirit of strategic partnership. Despite unprecedented Western sanctions, our trade and economic cooperation continues to expand. Machinery, equipment and high-tech goods account for an increasingly greater share of our mutual trade volumes.

We also conduct systemic work to fulfill agreements between the presidents of Russia and Belarus, reached this past May in Moscow and in June in Valdai. Russia and Belarus consistently strengthen their positions in the Union State. Our governments are working more quickly to implement the main provisions of the Union State Treaty in 2024-2026. We are implementing an action plan, and I hope that we will jointly accomplish this objective before the year is out.

We traditionally prioritise the industrial policy. We implement major joint projects in such spheres as the automobile manufacturing sector, microelectronics and the machine-tools industry. We also cooperate actively on the digital agenda and develop electronic services.

In early October, Minsk will host the Second International Exhibition/Fair INNOPROM. Belarus. I am confident that it will provide a new impetus to our joint development in the field of high-tech production facilities.

We are also establishing the consolidate transport network of the Union State. For example, passenger trains started operating between neighbouring regions on 2 April. Our presidents agreed on this. First of all, this implies the Smolensk - Orsha and Smolensk - Vitebsk commuter train routes.

We attach special significance to expanding our direct interregional ties. On June 24-26, Minsk hosted the 13^th Forum of Russian and Belarusian regions that involved over 600 delegates from 73 Russian regions.

Mr Turchin, we have a large and vast agenda. I would like to thank you once again for arriving here at the weekend. We worked with delegations together yesterday. Mr Turchin, the floor is yours.

Alexander Turchin: Mr Mishustin, colleagues,

First of all, of course, allow me to thank you for an invitation to attend this important and significant event. I would like to say that, in the years of its existence, INNOPROM has proved its significance for our countries. Today, this amounts to a wonderful opportunity to see our achievements at this platform and to chart future guidelines of our cooperation.

Mr Mishustin, you have noted correctly that our mutual relations are growing steadily. In the past five months, we have expanded our bilateral trade volumes by over 20 percent. This means that you and we are moving in the right direction. And, of course, within the framework of the Union State, we are addressing an entire range of issues and objectives that should be addressed, as you have aptly noted, in conditions of unprecedented sanctions pressure.

Our presidents have met quite recently. Before leaving, I spoke with Alexander Lukashenko, and he asked me to convey the best wishes to Vladimir Putin. And I am confident that the pace of mutual meetings and our discussions will be retained.

Mr Mishustin, this why I am also noting with satisfaction that relations between both governments, the Government of Russia and the Government of Belarus, are at their highest point. I am grateful to you because you are always available, 24 hours a day, and we quickly resolve any arising issues.

Even the previous evening has showcased this. Our colleagues and we discussed various issues during the entire evening, and we are once again conducting lively discussions since morning today. We have already found solutions and eliminated bottlenecks on multiple issues that we discussed yesterday.

This is why I am grateful to all colleagues for this work. And I have already told you that super-professional people work in your team. Thank you very much.