Belarus PM: Cooperation in the CIS needs new breath

The meeting took place prior to the session the CIS Heads of Government Council that will take place in Minsk on 31 May, BelTA has learned.

Mikhail Myasnikovich remarked that preparations for the summit had been thorough. The Prime Minister thanked the office of the CIS Executive Committee and Sergei Lebedev for the good preparations for the event. "All the items on the agenda have a high degree of readiness," remarked Mikhail Myasnikovich. "All the CIS states are intent on not limiting themselves to partial solutions and therefore many projects are of promising nature. It means that we have placed priorities correctly. All the ministries of Belarus have made preparations for the summit of the CIS heads of government in Minsk, too".

Sergei Lebedev believes that the summit should be a good one. The sides have voiced some remarks concerning the draft documents that will be discussed at the session but these are minor remarks. Over 30 items will be on agenda of the session. A consensus meeting has been scheduled for 30 May to address these remarks. "I strongly hope that all the rough edges will be addressed," said the Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee.

Sergei Lebedev said that the day before he had met with Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, who will also take part in the session of the CIS Heads of Government Council, BelTA reports.

Important documents are supposed to be signed at the session. The number includes the implementation of an interstate program for innovative cooperation between the CIS states. As many as 11 innovative projects have been earmarked for implementation. "I hope that the heads of government will approve these projects," remarked Sergei Lebedev.

Another document, which is being prepared for the summit, is a protocol on Uzbekistan's accession to the Commonwealth's free trade zone. "We hope that the protocol will be signed and Uzbekistan will become the ninth state in the free trade zone," said Sergei Lebedev.

The year 2013 has been declared the Year of Environmental Protection in the Commonwealth of Independent States. As the CIS presiding country Belarus has prepared a draft agreement on cooperation in environmental protection. The draft agreement will also be discussed at the session of the CIS Heads of Government Council.

Cooperation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy are also on agenda. Nikolai Spassky, a Rosatom executive, is expected to make a report. He is also the head of the CIS commission for cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Apart from that, humanitarian cooperation will be discussed at the session of the CIS Heads of Government Council. In particular, there are plans to nominate two universities to be the basic institutions to train specialists for the CIS states.

Sergei Lebedev also said that Russia had already suggested holding the next session of the CIS Heads of Government Council in Moscow in November 2013.