Today Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation Is to Pay an Official Visit to Belarus

Today Alexander Gordeev, Russian Minister of Agriculture, is to visit the national unitary enterprise “Minsk Tractor Plant”. During his stay in Belarus he is heading the delegation which is formed by the Department Heads of the Ministry of Agriculture, members of the Council of Federation, State Duma deputies, and representatives of Russian economic players, public corporation “Rosselkhozbank”, public corporation “Rosselkhozlizing”, industry unions and associations, experts of Russian Agricultural Inspectorate as well as scientists.

Today Alexander Gordeev, Russian Minister of Agriculture, is to visit the national unitary enterprise “Minsk Tractor Plant”. During his stay in Belarus he is heading the delegation which is formed by the Department Heads of the Ministry of Agriculture, members of the Council of Federation, State Duma deputies, and representatives of Russian economic players, public corporation “Rosselkhozbank”, public corporation “Rosselkhozlizing”, industry unions and associations, experts of Russian Agricultural Inspectorate as well as scientists.

The Head of Russian Agrarian Office will also acquaint himself with a health-improving complex “Silichi”, milk-commodity complex “Gostilovichi” as well as visit an agricultural settlement and a public corporation “Agricultural complex “Dzerzhinski”.

On December 11^th the Head of Russian Ministry of Agriculture will take part in a joint sitting of Russian and Belarusian Agricultural Ministries’ Boards which will be held in Minsk on the subject: “On integration of agricultural and food markets of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation as well as goals of agricultural policy within the Union State”.

It should be noted that in agrarian area Belarus and Russia cooperate under the provisions of the Agreement on Free Trade concluded between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Belarus on November 13^th 1992, protocol on introduction of free trade policy without exceptions and restrictions between Belarus and Russia of January 6^th 1995, Agreement of Customs Union between Russia and Belarus of January 6^th 1995 as well as under the Agreement on measures taken to develop trade and economic cooperation concluded by Belarusian and Russian Governments on March 23^rd 2007.

At present the key foreign-trade partner of Belarus in the sphere of food export is the Russian Federation. In 2007 total export of Belarusian food and agricultural raw produce to Russia made up $1.8 billion. Considering the total volume of Russia’s import of food and agricultural raw produce, Belarusian share makes up about 9 per cent.

Starting from May 1^st 2008 Belarusian livestock products are exported to Russia only by the enterprises which had been certified by the experts of the Russian Agricultural Inspectorate.

In order to widen time horizon of the situation on agricultural markets of the two countries in 2008, the specialists have made up 5-year joint balances of supply and demand on meat, milk and sugar.

However, the most important part of the visit of the Russian delegation headed by Alexander Gordeev will be the meeting with the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and Belarusian Prime-Minister Sergey Sidorski. The event is scheduled for December 11^th, 2008.