Kochanova announces theme of 13th Belarus-Russia regional forum

According to the speaker, the chosen theme of the upcoming forum is more relevant than ever. Addressing the nation and the National Assembly in his speech at the second session of the seventh Belarusian People’s Congress, President Aleksandr Lukashenko clearly stated that the economy is the top priority. Therefore, the economic aspect has been selected as the forum’s theme.

“You are aware of the attention President Aleksandr Lukashenko pays to matters of interaction at the level of regional cooperation. When delegations from the Russian Federation arrive, led by governors, the president always holds meetings and outlines strategic development issues with each particular region,” Natalya Kochanova noted.

According to the chairwoman of the Council of the Republic, the Belarusian side is actively working on these matters. An inter-parliamentary commission has been established. The key aspect of the Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia is the signing of contracts and agreements, and this is precisely what defines regional cooperation. “I always say: the forum is the just tip of the iceberg, when we sign contracts and agreements and summarize the results of what has been achieved over the year in implementing the agreements reached during the previous Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia,” the speaker said.

Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Republic Vladislav Tatarinovich noted that the necessary organizational work is currently underway in preparation for the forum as he talked to journalists after the meeting. The organizers are the Council of the Republic (Belarus) and the Federation Council (Russia).

It was noted that the forum will traditionally last two days. The first day is planned to be dedicated to full-fledged work in sections: there will be ten of them covering various areas, including economy, industry, agriculture, tourism, and healthcare. According to Vladislav Tatarinovich, these areas are of mutual interest to both countries, as they have good potential for the future. The second day of the forum will feature a plenary session to finalize the issues worked on in the sections.

“We are aware of the instruction and directive from the head of state: all government bodies must work towards developing economic potential. The forum has proven itself over previous periods as a good, constructive platform for working out these issues, new areas of cooperation, agreements, and scaling up existing directions in which we actively interact at the state level. We plan to maximize the potential,” Vladislav Tatarinovich said.

The previous forum, held in Nizhny Novgorod in 2025 and dedicated to youth policy, showed good results, noted the deputy chairman of the Council of the Republic. Contracts worth about Br900 million were signed. “We must not fall below this level this year. Today, we emphasized this point to representatives of ministries, government agencies, regional executive committees, and enterprises so that the work starts now. We will keep it under constant supervision,” he said.

Vladislav Tatarinovich added that the situation will be under constant control, from preparation to the implementation of the reached agreements.

According to Chairwoman of the Minsk Oblast Council of Deputies Natalya Yakubitskaya, it is a great honor and responsibility for Minsk Oblast to host the 13th Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia. “We are preparing very thoroughly. A working group has been created under the leadership of Chairman of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee Aleksei Kushnarenko. It includes heads of all bodies,” she said.

Natalya Yakubitskaya emphasized that Minsk Oblast aims to showcase the economic, investment, and tourism potential not only of the region itself but of the entire country. Guests will certainly be introduced to traditions, history, and culture. Major flagship enterprises, such as BelAZ, BelGee and the China-Belarus Industrial Park Great Stone, have been designated as venues for the section work. Healthcare and educational institutions will also be involved.

“We are confident that we will be able to host the Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia successfully. The economy will be at the forefront. The most important thing is the result: contracts, new types of competitive products, new enterprises,” Natalya Yakubitskaya concluded.