Putin: Regions are the driving engine of trade between Belarus and Russia

The regions are the engine of trade between Belarus and Russia, Vladimir Putin said in a video message to the participants of the 11th Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia during the plenary session on the theme "The role of interregional cooperation in building an innovative economy of the Union State," BELTA reports.

"I would like to emphasize that Belarus is one of Russia's key economic partners. In turn, about 60% of Belarusian foreign trade operations fall on our country. Last year, the trade turnover increased by more than 5% to a record $46.5 billion, and the engine of counter trade is precisely the regions: enterprises, wholesale suppliers, logistics centers located in various parts of both our countries," said Vladimir Putin. - In terms of accumulated investments in the Belarusian economy, Russia is firmly holding the first place - over $5 billion. Again, about 2.5 thousand companies with Russian capital are successfully operating throughout Belarus.

Integration processes developing both within the framework of the Union State and the Eurasian Economic Union are of great practical benefit for the deepening of Russian-Belarusian interregional cooperation, said the Russian President. "It is thanks to the ever-closer integration that the companies of our countries, no matter in which region they are located, get an opportunity to work in a single economic field, without barriers and obstacles.