Union State parliamentarians and experts will produce recommendations on the development of rural areas in the Union State. This was discussed at a seminar of the Union State Parliamentary Assembly “Development of Rural Areas in the Union State: Relevance and Prospective Directions. The Experience of Belarusian Agro-Towns for Russian Regions”, BelTA has learned.
Participants of the seminar touched upon organizational and economic mechanisms for rural development and the social challenges facing rural territories. The agenda included state support and legal regulation of sustainable rural development in the Union State, cooperation between government and business, opportunities for developing social entrepreneurship in rural districts of Belarus and Russia, the impact of agro-towns on environmental protection and ecological balance, as well as prospects for applying Belarus’ experience in Russia.
The seminar was attended by Ivan Markevich, Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly’s Commission on Agrarian Issues, and commission members Andrei Balysh, Anton Getta, and Leonid Zayats. “We often discuss rural development and agriculture with our Russian colleagues. Agro-towns in Belarus began to develop in 2004 thanks to the initiative of the head of state. They gave a serious and significant boost to rural development, and the results are clear. Agriculture is the foundation of every country’s security, and ours is technologically advanced and moving toward digitalization. We have modern crop-growing technologies, advanced cattle-breeding complexes, dairy farms, and engineering solutions. The 2025 agricultural export results speak for themselves. Another issue is personnel. The [Belarusian] president has set the task of motivating people to move to rural areas and truly develop them. Parliament is also working on this,” Ivan Markevich said.
The seminar included a plenary session and two thematic sections: Organizational and Economic Mechanisms for Sustainable Rural Development and Social Issues in Rural Development. Participants also visited the Belarusian agro-towns of Rakov and Bobrovichi in Volozhin District and Senitsa in Minsk District.
Experts invited to the meeting included representatives of the Standing Committee of the Union State, the Belarusian Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, research institutes specializing in land-use issues, and heads of agricultural enterprises.
Following the seminar, a document containing practical recommendations aimed at developing rural areas in the Union State will be prepared.
