The Council of the Republic named the objectives of the fifth session of the eighth convocation

The Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly outlined the strategic priorities of the country's development and new tasks of the legislative body at the opening of the fifth session of the Council of the Republic of the eighth convocation on September 15, the correspondent of the Minsk-Novosti news agency reports.

N. Kochanova stressed the symbolism of the resumption of the work of the body on the eve of National Unity Day and announced a rich working agenda:

On September 17, we will celebrate National Unity Day. For Belarusians, unity is the foundation of independence and one of the key factors of sustainable development. Only a united people can overcome any challenges and preserve their identity. History proves that we are invincible only when we are together. It is in mutual support that the main strength of the Belarusians lies. Let this force resonate in every home with consent, and in every heart with pride for belonging to the Belarusian people. Ahead is the third meeting of the VII All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, at which the Head of State will address the Belarusian people with an annual Address, the delegates will sum up the results of the first year of the five-year plan. The agenda for the fifth session will also be extremely busy.

Finance

According to N. Kochanova, the central place in the work of the Council of the Republic is traditionally occupied by the budget package - draft laws on the republican budget and the budget of the Social Protection Fund for 2027, as well as changes to the Tax Code. The requirements of the Head of State in the fiscal sphere are unchanged: effective spending of funds on priorities of social and economic development, fair and balanced taxation system.

The Chairman of the Council of the Republic drew attention to the preparations for the introduction of the national digital currency:

- The bill will create the necessary legal basis for the use of the new form of the Belarusian ruble. According to the developers, this will provide additional control over the targeted spending of budget funds and expand the possibilities of cross-border payments.

Legislation

- Serious work is underway to amend the laws “On Local Governance and Self-Government in the Republic of Belarus” and “On Appeals of Citizens and Legal Entities”. Careful study will require legislative innovations in the field of labor and housing relations, labor protection, external labor migration, licensing, healthcare, personal data protection, trade unions and social support for citizens affected by the Chernobyl accident. The Council of the Republic has also prepared a draft law on increasing the level of employment. It is based on proposals developed jointly with deputies of local councils and supported by the Head of State, Kochanova said.

Addressing the members of the Council of the Republic of the eighth convocation, she emphasized that each letter of the law must first of all be seen as a person, and the laws themselves must be fair, understandable, go from life, be adopted for people and in the name of people.

Working with the population

- Working with the population is crucial for parliamentarians. Close attention to the problems of citizens and assistance in solving them make it possible to judge how effective local activities are. Since the beginning of the year, members of the Council of the Republic have considered about 4 thousand applications, held 420 receptions of citizens and legal entities, 206 direct telephone lines and 889 meetings with labor collectives. Behind every conversion is a human destiny. When a member of the Council of the Republic solves a local issue, he does not just help a specific person, but strengthens confidence in the entire system of public administration, the Chairman of the Council of the Republic noted.

Kochanova also pointed out that the goal of parliamentarians is to see a systemic problem behind an isolated case. If one person is faced with a legal or bureaucratic barrier, then tomorrow dozens of other citizens may face the same. The members of the Council of the Republic must prevent this by solving the problem at its root.

International activities

- We are working at a time when conventional models of international cooperation are changing under the influence of competition for critical resources, trade protectionism and sanctions regimes. Today, in fact, there is a confrontation between military and political blocs, supporters and opponents of a multipolar world order. Our constant task is to preserve peace and tranquility on the Belarusian land, Kochanova emphasized.

Parliamentary diplomacy should be used as much as possible to maintain international peace and security.

- Belarus is a peace-loving country. This thesis we consistently convey to the foreign public, including during numerous international contacts. We must work more actively on topical issues on the international agenda, the solution of which is unreasonably delayed. For this, we have a wide range of tools: in the eighth convocation of the National Assembly, 10 delegations were formed to work in international parliamentary organizations, 6 high-level commissions and committees, 42 country working groups, many of which are headed by members of the Council of the Republic, Kochanova said.

Promotion of trade and economic interests

The Chairman of the Council of the Republic noted that inter-parliamentary diplomacy today is the most important tool for promoting national interests and creating favorable conditions for the Belarusian economy

- Promotion of trade and economic interests in the context of the tasks that the Head of State sets for the entire power vertical is our absolute priority. International forums held under the auspices of the Council of the Republic have the greatest impact. In June, the XIII Forum of the Regions of Belarus and Russia was held in Minsk and the region, which set records for the number of signed contracts and cooperation documents. The permanent commissions of the Council of the Republic should take special control over the implementation of the agreements reached at the forum. Our activity in parliamentary structures should be based on the unconditional priority of national interests, support for unification and creative initiatives.

Kochanova also announced the next international event organized with the participation of the Council of the Republic. At the end of September, the first Uzbek-Belarusian inter-parliamentary forum will be held in Uzbekistan, within the framework of which the fourth women's forum will be held. The change in the format and increase in the status of the forum was due to the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries during the official visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Belarus in July this year.

- We are actively preparing for the forum, forming a portfolio of commercial contracts and agreements. This will be our effective contribution to the implementation of the Roadmap for the development of trade and economic cooperation between Belarus and Uzbekistan in order to reach the level of trade turnover of $ 2 billion, she said.

Photo by Sergei Lukashov