Belarus PM: CU countries need joint defense order

Belarus PM Mikhail Myasnikovich said that Custom Union (CU) countries need a joint defense order, RIA Novosti reports. “We need a joint defense order in our countries, and if there is none, there will be no joint military-industrial complex and joint military-technical cooperation will not be full,” Myasnikovich said at the CU business conference in Moscow. He also called Russia and Kazakhstan to participate in privatization of Belarus companies. “We invite business communities of Russia and Kazakhstan to take an active part in privatization in Belarus. We would like define several directions. First of all, this is chemical industry, as I think we are too focused on oil processing and trade,” Belarus PM said. Meanwhile, Russia's PM Vladimir Putin said that the volume of goods turnover between CU countries increased by over 43 percent in four months of 2011. According to the Head of Russian Government, the CU and the Common Economic Space should be regulated by two key documents: a new codified treaty on the Customs Union and CES, and the Customs Code. CU business conference was attended by Prime-Ministers of Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus, as well as head of economic ministries and managers of major business associations of the CU.