Seventh Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia to draw more than 500 participants

The forum will be themed around the historical heritage of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Natalya Kochanova called it the key interparliamentary event. “Over 500 people are expected to attend the forum. An important part of the forum is the business agenda: Belarusian and Russian business people will discuss the prospects for cooperation and new joint projects. Cooperation agreements and commercial contracts will be signed,” the chairwoman said.

Natalya Kochanova held talks with Speaker of the Federation Council of Russia's Federal Assembly Valentina Matviyenko in Minsk on 5 March. The Belarusian speaker expressed confidence that the visit of the Russian delegation will give a new impetus to the development of Belarus-Russia relations and interparliamentary interaction. "We view it as an important step towards further deepening the interparliamentary dialogue and enhancing cooperation between our countries in all fields," she said.

Natalya Kochanova thanked Valentina Matviyenko and members of the Russian parliamentary delegation for trust-based, open and productive dialogue. “The talks confirmed the inviolability of friendship and strategic relations between Russia and Belarus. We discussed a wide range of cooperation issues, including the possibility of strengthening the role of the parliamentary dimension in solving current problems. Agreements were reached to bolster trade, economic and humanitarian ties between the countries,” Natalya Kochanova said.

Speaker of the Federation Council of Russia's Federal Assembly Valentina Matviyenko noted that the parliamentary dialogue is now more important than ever. According to her, at the meeting in Minsk the parties discussed the state of affairs of Belarus-Russia relations, the role of the parliaments in the implementation of the agreements reached at the highest level. The parties also highlighted the need to boost coordination in international parliamentary organizations.