According to Boris Batura, energy security is an urgent issue for Belarus and Armenia. In Belarus approaches used to address energy security issues vary at different government levels. There is a President-approved energy security concept, various programmes, including a programme for modernising the Belarusian energy system, measures for saving energy and expanding the use of local fuels. The government and Belarusian companies have been working on it for the last two years. “The results are not as high as European ones, but we plan to reach the average European GDP energy intensity,” said Boris Batura.
The head of the upper chamber of the Belarusian parliament also remarked, there are important issues emerging in view of the forthcoming construction of the nuclear power plant in Belarus. “A lot of organisational issues will have to be dealt with. Their resolution will have to be agreed with European countries, but the work has begun and a lot has been done,” noted Boris Batura.
The official spoke in favour of stepping Belarusian-Armenian trade and economic cooperation, especially in view of the global financial and economic crisis.
In turn, Grayr Karapetyan expressed interest in reinforcing the bilateral parliamentary ties and stepping up the international cooperation in various areas. Belarus and Armenia vigorously collaborate within the framework of various international organisations, especially the CSTO. Belarus is Armenia’s fourth largest CIS trade partner after Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia in trade turnover terms, he remarked.
Grayr Karapetyan also suggested setting up a conference for discussing issues, which hinder the implementation of full-fledged cooperation between regions of the two countries, in detail.
In 2008 Belarus-Armenia trade turnover totalled $28.2 million, 18.9% up on 2007.