This year's Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia expected to be special

The head of the upper chamber of the Belarusian parliament said: “Today we are starting work on preparing an important event – the Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia, which takes place interchangeably in Russia and Belarus every year. It will be the ninth forum this year. Members of the organizing committee have been invited to attend the session while oblast governors and heads of oblast councils of deputies join us remotely because all of us worked together on preparing the forum. And today we are holding the first session of our organizing committee.”

The speaker reminded that the first forum was held in 2014 upon the initiative of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus. This year's forum is scheduled to take place in Grodno on 23-24 June. Although it was the first session of the organizing committee, a number of matters had been addressed with the Federation Council already, including the location, the timing, and the topics the forum will focus on. This year's Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia will focus on the role of interregional cooperation in deepening integration processes in the Union State of Belarus and Russia.

According to Natalya Kochanova, the Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia is the pinnacle of the work being done during the year. She said: “The contracts and the agreements on cooperation that regions of Belarus and Russia sign are very important for us. The matters that determine future development strategies for various areas are important for us. As you know, last year's forum focused on innovations and science. And we determined such a serious approach to these matters. As a rule, we work in panel sessions on the first day of the forum. They have been determined, too. An important event Memory Train will take place prior to the forum. Young Belarusians and Russians will participate in it. We want to integrate them. I think we will be able to accomplish it.”

Natalya Kochanova said the oblast administrations are already working on the contracts, which are supposed to be signed on the sidelines of the 2022 Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia. “Apart from that, you know that the heads of state signed 28 roadmaps on our cooperation with the Russian Federation at a session of the Supreme State Council. The Federation Council and the Council of the Republic have taken the responsibility for further realization of these programs,” she noted.

According to Natalya Kochanova, this year's Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia is of special importance due to Western sanctions. “When new restrictions and sanctions are introduced against Belarus and Russia every day, we have to understand it is a time of opportunities as our heads of state have said. We will work in a manner so that our people would not feel the restrictions enforced by the West. This is why the Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia is a magnificent event where we will be able to talk at length about these matters,” she said. “It is another good platform where we will be able to exchange opinions, share and put forward our proposals. I'd like everyone to work hard on it. I think the sum of signed contracts and agreements should be much larger this year. After the Union State programs were signed at the Supreme State Council session, our cooperation is transitioning to a new level, I'd say. This is why we should take all of it into account.”