Russia (bbabo.net), - The public structures of Russia and Belarus should be widely involved in the implementation of integration processes. This conclusion was made by experts during the conference "Security and Economic Sovereignty of the Union State of Belarussia: Common Priorities", which was held on February 15 at the site of the Civic Chamber of Russia.

During the event, the results of the discussions of representatives of parliaments and the expert community of Russia and Belarus, which took place in January-February 2022 between representatives of the Association for Foreign Policy Studies named after A.A. Gromyko, the United Russia party, the Republican public organization Belaya Rus, leading representatives of public, scientific and educational organizations in Russia and Belarus. As a result, a joint document was drawn up and submitted for approval on issues of integration strategy, non-interference in the internal affairs of the Union State, and strengthening cooperation in the field of security.

The implementation of the union programs will make it possible to create a full-fledged unified barrier-free economy within the framework of the Union State, the participants of the conference stated in their joint statement following the event.

"There is a demand for the creation of a comprehensive "integration index" that allows tracking key indicators: legal changes, economic effects, non-discrimination, public opinion, regional development within the Union State. In the course of work on the unification of legislation, it would be useful to create a permanent mechanism of expert consultations at the inter-parliamentary level" , the document says.

A very important block of questions concerns the humanitarian development of the Union State, said Alexei Gromyko, Director of the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in his opening speech. In turn, the chairman of the NGO "Belaya Rus" Gennady Davydko noted that a number of initiatives promoted within the framework of integration can be drawn up in the relevant road maps.

"I believe that the initiative and unification of civil society within the framework of integration can become the 29th map, I would like to see the creation of a single information space as a road map," he specified.

Within the framework of the Union State, the tax and customs systems are synchronized, Vladimir Amarin, Deputy State Secretary of the Union State, recalled in his speech. "It is planned to create a joint advisory body - the Union State Committee on Tax Issues, as well as an interstate center within the structure of the Customs Committee of the Union State," he said about the initiatives, adding that the center's work is expected to be funded from the budget of the Union State from July 2022.

The "Index of Integration" is needed to understand how the process is going, and may see the light within the next few months," Aleksey Gromyko, director of the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, explained to SOYUZ.

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