Belarus and Russia are working on new import-substitution projects, Head of the Economy and Sectoral Programs Department of the Standing Committee of the Belarus-Russia Union State Svetlana Ivanova said at the International Forum of Economic Cooperation held on 8 September to mark Minsk's 956th anniversary, BelTA has learned.

Import substitution is one of the topics of the Union State construction, Svetlana Ivanova said. “Belarus and Russia have a lot of technological developments that can be used today. We are working on a package of programs and projects that, among other things, focus on import-substituting areas. We are engaged in import substitution not on a catch-up basis, but on the basis of our technologies. They help us introduce an innovative component, develop a new, our, unified product, because Russian and Belarusian scientists and enterprises are involved in its production and development. We cooperate in biology, space and mechanical engineering,” she said.

According to Svetlana Ivanova, Belarus and Russia have agreements to implement joint projects in machine-tool construction, microelectronics, production of components for mechanical engineering. “The range of cooperation, which is aimed at ensuring technological and product independence of our countries, tops the agenda of the Union State today,” the head of the department said.