Sergeyenko calls on MPs to contribute to Belarus-Russia Union State

Igor Sergeyenko welcomed the participants to Mogilev. "85 years ago our ancestors held the defense of Mogilev against the Nazi hordes longer than some European countries. Today the situation is similar in many respects. We are facing the challenges that threaten the existence of both Belarus and Russia. As parliamentarians, we need to strengthen the positions of the Union State," he said. "We will discuss very important topics today. At a time of sanctions that the West has been churning out like a factory against Belarus and Russia the best response is to forge closer ties and productive interaction between the two countries, to improve the peoples' welfare and preserve the common historical memory."

Igor Sergeyenko described interregional and cross-border cooperation as one of the key points that ensure successful integration in the Union State. "Therefore, the presidents of Belarus and Russia and our governments are doing everything for the integration. Since the beginning of the year, over 100 delegations from different regions of our states have visited Belarus and Russia. Trade has increased by 8.5% and amounted to $2.3 billion. In general, last year we surpassed the $53 billion mark," he said. "Certainly, this is the result of increased production, new jobs, closer cooperation ties, advanced technologies, and more. This helps to make our regions stronger, and the people living there confident in the present and the future."

The meeting focused on ensuring equal rights of citizens of Belarus and Russia in healthcare. "The systems are similar, inherited from the Soviet times, but they have been developing a bit differently. Russia has a system of compulsory health insurance, while Belarus has a state system of medical care. I would like to hear the position and possible proposals of the relevant ministries and specialists," Igor Sergeyenko noted. “As for equal access to medical care, the categories of citizens who have the right to receive it and the types of medical care have been spelled out in an intergovernmental agreement of 2006. Due to the deepening integration, decisions taken by the heads of our states and the implementation of the Union State programs, probably it is time to adjust some of the provisions. Are specialists satisfied with the system of experience exchange, advanced training of medical personnel? How effective are agreements between medical universities of our countries? By the way, there are about 150 agreements. It is also important to hear experts' opinions on the introduction of promising medical technologies and domestic developments, what achievements there are and how widely they are used. The commissions on labor and social policy and on healthcare of the Parliamentary Assembly should carefully study all the opinions expressed during the discussion together with the relevant ministries and other involved people."

He emphasized that it would be impossible to solve all the issues within one meeting. "Our main task is to speed up this process and outline the directions in which we should work," Igor Sergeyenko summarized.