IGOR ARTEMIEV: RUSSIA-BELARUS COLLABORATION IS RESULT-ORIENTED AND BRINGS THE EFECT
On 18 December 2019, FAS and MART outlined some prospective areas of work in 2020
On 18 December 2019, FAS hosted a meeting of FAS Presidium and the Collegium of the Ministry for Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade (МАРТ) of Belarus. The parties discussed the results of their collaboration in 2019 and determined the prospective areas for 2020.
As the main results of collaboration in 2019, Head of FAS Igor Artemiev mentioned signing the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of Belarus on cooperation in the field of competition protection, formalizing “advanced” tools of result-oriented collaboration in enforcement, signing the Action Plan to fulfill the Agreement, and establishing the Russia-Belarus Expert Council for developing competition on socially important markets.
He pointed out an active involvement of Belarus in the international events organized by FAS, efficient information exchange under the frame of investigating particular cases, and cooperation on the UNCTAD platform as well as within the Union state and the Eurasian Economic Union.
“Our relations are developing; we are constantly in a friendly and professional contact. We do not simply exchange opinions, our work generates practical results. We look arm-in-arm after the interests of our consumers, for which we are very grateful to you, our dear colleagues”, said Igor Artemiev.
As prospective areas of collaboration in 2020, Head of FAS suggested further developments in “parallel import” – possibility to apply exceptions from the regional principles of exhausting the exclusive brand right within EAEU, and continuing jointly refining and presenting the positions of FAS and MART at the international level, particularly, UNCTAD, during the VIII UN Conference on reviewing the UN Competition Set.
Vladimir Koltovich, Belarus Minister for Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade thanked Head of FAS for the openness and efficient dialogue between the agencies and expressed an interest in organizing joint investigations in 2020 on the basis of Russia-Belarus Expert Council, developing cooperation in exchange trade and establishing a Working Group for preventing and suppressing cartels. Among specific results achieved through collaboration, he underlined, for example, resuming supplies of “Dacabarzine” medical drug to Belarus market. MART has approved the cap ex-works prices declared by the manufacturer at the level of prices registered in Russia.
Igor Artemiev supported a proposals of his Byelorussian counterpart to forma joint Working Group on preventing and suppressing cartels, with the main focus on exchanging experiences, conducting joint investigations and finding solutions to countering cross-border cartels and cartels between Russia and Belarus.
The parties exchanged the plans for the key international events, where representatives of FAS and MART plan to participants and reassured each other in continuing productive work next year.