Alexey Gromyko, Director, Institute of Europe RAS:
– Pandemic has become a magnifying glass through which we could more clearly see the problems, accumulated in world development and in the development of integration processes in the post-Soviet space.
First lesson: in a world of constant struggle for technology and markets. We need not separate the national and the joint Federal strategy. Second lesson: the growing role of state participation in market and social processes. Third lesson: nation-States have demonstrated their indispensability in the case of force majeure. But these circumstances make extremely important to the effectiveness of regional integration. The fourth lesson: the high risks of introducing market mechanisms in health care, health care, education, basic science… the Fifth lesson: we need to raise the stress of our countries and the Union as a whole to structural social and economic changes.
Grigory Rapota, Union state Secretary:
– it is Important not to lose our humanitarian achievements. Not to stop the dialogue. To maintain peer interaction. And of course, focus on creative projects. When we are talking about a highway that would connect Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Minsk and beyond, with access to Europe – is building up. This business model involves using primarily extrabudgetary funds. There are already eager to participate in the project from banks, financial advisors. Naturally, we want to expand the program of the Union state, as well as to finalize a “roadmap”. And don’t be afraid to keep going back to the question: whether or not the Federal government? But if you want, why not? And everytime answer this question. It will give us confidence and understanding what to do next.
Andrei Klepach, chief economist of VNESHECONOMBANK of the Russian Federation, chair of the Department of macroeconomic policy of the University. M. V. Lomonosov:
– Pandemic shows that our countries are very sensitive to such shocks. The Russian economy this year, according to the official forecast, will fall by 5%. In fact, every one percent fall of the Russian GDP is the percent drop in GDP and Belarus. Because we need to strengthen cooperation ties, which would be more stable than the fluctuations related to external shocks or quarantine restrictions. For our well-being to develop new models of partnership, collaboration is extremely important. And of course, we have to be projects-the drivers that are “infected” by both countries.
Dmitry Mezentsev, Russia’s Ambassador to the Republic of Belarus:
– World leaders will seek to consolidate its leading position. I believe this country, not belonging to the group leaders, will feel will��and from the outside to damage their competitiveness, success in foreign markets, etc. follows From this conclusion: the stronger will be the allied relations between Belarus and Russia, the more positive results from integration. Incidentally, this will serve as a good example for other member countries of the Eurasian economic Union.
Vladimir Semashko, the Belarusian Ambassador to Russia:
– Pandemic hurt the economies is a reality. How effectively we will work on the mistakes and get ready for a new, potentially even more difficult challenges depends on the degree of minimization of future losses. We should act together, using best practices collaboration. As it was, for example, during the evacuation of Belarusian citizens from third countries. Economic aspects, I believe the main potential of the development of our relations. Despite a number of commitments on equal conditions and guarantees of activity of economic entities of Belarus and Russia, in practice, we continue to face barriers and constraints. Here, in my opinion, hiding is our main reserve for the further deepening and expansion of bilateral relations. We know that any critical situation can be resolved through reasonable compromises.
Andrei Savinykh, Chairman of the Permanent Commission for international Affairs of the house of representatives Natssobraniya RB:
– the World is moving from a development model of international cooperation to fierce competition between different economic blocks. Each economic zone, including ours, will need to quickly provide our own structure of production, division of labor, monetary system. The key importance will be the rate of formation of such zones. The countries that will be able to stay ahead of the competition, you get the obvious advantages over other regions in the form of higher living standards and the additional levers of influence on the world. It is clear that the joint efforts of Belarus and Russia to create an independent economic zone is not enough. So, discussing the prospects of the Union state, we may be discussing a pilot model for future enterprises with the participation of other countries.
Oleg Makarov, Director of the Belarusian Institute for strategic studies:
– Want to focus on the state of the information field of Union state. We see that there is a clear demand for a negative agenda from both outside and inside our countries. The positive agenda is not enough. To reverse the situation, it is very important to develop large joint projects. In addition, it is necessary to develop joint immune to negative rhetoric. For this you need to show vision and objectives of our integration.
Vyacheslav Sutyrin, pror��ktor State academic University of humanitarian science:
– the Federal government does not have enough infrastructure and humanitarian cooperation. In this area there are no specific organizational structures that would unite our society in the framework of the General “horizontal” projects. Regarding educational cooperation, urgent is the issue of the lack of quotas, and we are constantly raised. In Russia the past six years progressively reduced the number of Belarusian students, especially in full-time education. In the neighboring Poland the proportion is increasing. In this situation, the Association of foreign policy studies has developed a number of initiatives implemented on their own, and with the support of our partners. For example, the youth Affairs of the CIS, which focused on scientists, young leaders and is held for the third year in a row. In 2020 it is dedicated to the integration processes and the great Victory.
Oleg Romanov, a member of the standing Committee of the Council of the Republic of Natssobraniya the Republic of Belarus for legislation and state construction:
– the Union state has the resources to promote overseas educational brand of our integration Association. Remember, the Soviet Union opened new universities in the countries that actively collaborated and established partnerships between universities. Today it is necessary to develop a system of informing foreign students, students, youth educational programs of Russian and Belarusian universities to attract foreigners to study in our countries. To do this abroad should establish information centres at local universities. Good help in this important matter could be the organization of study in such centers of the Russian language and literature.
Irina Novikova doctor of history, Director of the Center for Belarusian research of the Institute of Europe RAS:
– I asked my students to explore Internet opportunities for recreation for citizens of Belarus in Russia and Vice versa. They found out that we are where and why to visit each other. Belarusians and Russians while chances to meet in the resorts of Turkey, Greece and other countries. I think postcoronary era will radically change the situation. “Passion abroad” will be forgotten – not even because travel is expensive. The return to domestic resources will occur based on the fact that Belarus and Russia, in addition to divided sovereignty have a common sovereignty and a common potential. And again. The ability to quickly agree on the new conditions we have in the first place in two directions. First, mutual trade in food products, the second joint tourism projects.
