The governments of Belarus and Kazakhstan have been instructed to prepare an agreement on cooperation in the field of oil and petroleum product supplies

May 24, Astana / Vladimir Matveev - BELTA /. The governments of Belarus and Kazakhstan have been instructed to prepare a bilateral intergovernmental agreement on trade and economic cooperation in the supply of oil and petroleum products to Belarus for signing. This is stated in a joint statement by the Presidents of Belarus and Kazakhstan, which they signed today following talks in Astana, according to a BELTA correspondent. The parties instructed the governments to focus efforts on priority areas of economic, scientific, technical, and humanitarian cooperation. In particular, they were instructed to prepare and approve, during the next meeting of the Belarusian-Kazakh intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation, a program for the development of bilateral trade and economic cooperation for 2012-2013. Among the priority areas is "the development of an energy dialogue between Belarus and Kazakhstan, its progressive filling with practical content, including the preparation for signing a bilateral intergovernmental agreement on trade and economic cooperation in the supply of oil and petroleum products to Belarus, taking into account the international obligations of both states." In addition, in accordance with the joint statement of the heads of state, the governments of Belarus and Kazakhstan have been instructed to focus efforts on areas such as increasing mutual trade in goods and services, creating favorable conditions for expanding productive contacts between business circles, deepening industrial cooperation, and creating competitive joint ventures with export potential in the states. The provision of necessary support measures for the implementation of joint projects, including by including them in the state programs of Belarus and Kazakhstan, is also envisaged. The governments have been instructed to expand cooperation in the agro-industrial complex, develop military-technical cooperation, introduce new tools and areas of economic partnership, deepen scientific and technical cooperation, intensify interaction through the chambers of commerce and industry of the two countries, develop interregional ties, and expand cooperation in healthcare. Among the instructions to the governments is also the opening of regular direct air service between Minsk and Astana in 2011, which, according to the heads of state, will contribute to the intensification of business, tourist, scientific, academic, and cultural contacts between the two states and their citizens. -0-