On the Results of the Visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Mr.Vladimir Makei to Russia

04-04-2014

On April 3 – 4 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Mr.Vladimir Makei was on a working visit to Moscow.

On April 3 the Head of the Foreign Ministry took part in the session of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers.

The session was chaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Mr.Sergey Lavrov. Mr.Nikolai Bordyuzha, CSTO Secretary General presented report on the situation in the CSTO responsibility zone, taking into account all the factors that influence its development.

In this context, the Foreign Ministers of the CSTO member-countries discussed security issues and prospects of cooperation in countering new challenges and threats. Special attention was paid to the improvement of the foreign policy coordination within the CSTO, while noting the need for cooperation development in the information sphere, as well as the expansion of interaction with civic society and the youth.

Mr.Vladimir Makei confirmed Belarus’ deep commitment to the goal of comprehensive strengthening of the Organization, enhancing its prestige on the international arena, marked that it’s important to work together to achieve greater efficiency of its functioning as a mechanism for regional security.

Following the results of the meeting, the CSTO Foreign Ministers made a statement in connection with the forthcoming presidential elections in Afghanistan and the aggravation of tension in the North-West of Syria. The parties signed the Program of consultations of the CSTO members on foreign policy issues and security for the second half of 2014 – first half of 2015.

On April 4 Mr.Vladimir Makei held a meeting with the Foreign Minister of Russia Mr.Sergei Lavrov. Within the negotiations, the sides discussed a wide range of topical issues of foreign policy cooperation between the two countries. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Belarus and Russia expressed satisfaction with the cooperation between the two countries in the sphere of foreign policy. The participants of the negotiations confirmed coordinated position on key issues of international relations and Eurasian integration prospects.

The Head of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry stressed the importance of maintaining positive dynamics in the implementation of the Programme of coordinated actions in foreign policy of the countries – parties to the Agreement on the creation of the Union State for the years 2014 -2015 .

The session of the CIS Foreign Ministers’ Council was held under the Chairmanship of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Mr.Vladimir Makei.

During the meeting the parties considered about 20 draft documents that regulate the cooperation of the CIS members in different spheres.

The sides discussed the implementation of the Program of multilevel consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Independent States in 2013, the Program of consultations for 2014 was adopted.

The Heads of delegations of CIS countries-members approved the draft decision on declaring 2016 the Year of Education in the CIS, on the Program of support and development of national sports in the CIS up to 2020 and the Plan of Action for 2015 — 2017, granting the status of basic organizations to a number of state establishments, as well as on interaction of law enforcement agencies and legal coverage of the CIS activity.

Within the session of the CIS Foreign Ministers Council resolutions on the elimination of the consequences of natural and manmade disasters were adopted.

In the field of security maintenance the parties discussed and approved a draft Decision on the Statement of the CIS Heads of States to maintain and strengthen the international drug control system. The Foreign Ministers also agreed to provide assistance to Tajikistan in strengthening security on the Tajik -Afghan border.

During the session the sides decided that the next meeting of the Council of CIS Foreign Ministers will take place in October 2014 in Minsk.

The Belarusian Foreign Minister also held a working meeting with his Tajik counterpart Mr.Sirojiddin Aslov.

The Foreign Ministers of the two countries discussed the issues of Belarus — Tajikistan cooperation in the political and economic spheres, as well as interaction in international organizations. The parties marked that pursuant to Decision of the CSTO Collective Security Council of 23 September, 2013 the Belarusian side provided gratis military equipment as assistance to the Tajik partners to strengthen the Tajik-Afghan border. During the negotiations Mr.Vladimir Makei stressed that Belarus and Tajikistan have significant potential for further expansion of trade and economic relations.

Within the visit, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus met with Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia, Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Mr.Sergey Naryshkin.

During the constructive discussion on the state and prospects of Belarusian-Russian cooperation development the sides noted with satisfaction the positive dynamics of inter-parliamentary contacts, strengthening of deputies interaction in international organizations.

The parties stressed the significant work carried out on the international arena by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia, welcomed the expansion of its cooperation with a number of regional parliamentary associations planned for 2014.

Mr.Vladimir Makei and Mr.Sergei Naryshkin also discussed a number of issues of cooperation in trade and economic sphere, confirmed the importance of further development of cooperation between Belarus and Russian regions .

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