Supreme Council of State to Consider New Concept of Social Development of the Union State

At the theoretical and practical conference “Social development of the Union State – State and Prospects” which took place in Moscow on November 11th Sergey Shukhno, Deputy State Secretary of the Union State, reported that the Concept of Social Development of the Union State for the years 2011-2015 would be worked out in the near future.

At the theoretical and practical conference “Social development of the Union State – State and Prospects” which took place in Moscow on November 11^th Sergey Shukhno, Deputy State Secretary of the Union State, reported that the Concept of Social Development of the Union State for the years 2011-2015 would be worked out in the near future.

He also informed that the issue would be examined at the forthcoming meeting of the Supreme Council of the Union State. The working group that is to work out the Concept will be formed as soon as possible.

The new Concept of Social Development of the Union State will be a logical continuation of the Concept for the years 2003-2010. It will contain some sections dedicated to further formation of educational, informational and cultural space as well as to cooperation in social sphere, public health, sport and in issues concerning overcoming of Chernobyl disaster consequences. As is reported by Sergey Shukhno, in the new concept these sections will be considerably extended. Besides that, it will include a number of new ones, in particular, those concerning youth policy and tourism in the Union State.

Sergey Shukhno also touched upon the implementation progress of the present Concept and called it the major document that methodized the process of integration in social sphere. The Concept has become not only a guideline for pursuing mutually concerted social policy in Belarus and Russia, but also brought forward a structured action plan aimed to form common social area in the Union State. Sergey Shukhno stressed that an enormous amount of work had been carried out to implement the concept’s provisions; however, thanks to that, the results achieved are sizable. At present, the problems concerning equal rights of Belarusian and Russian citizens to participate in economical activity, to get employed and paid, to receive education and medical care are practically solved.