Belarus requests Russia's assistance in combating counterfeits of Belarusian goods
MINSK. March 19 (Interfax) - Belarusian Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Minister Artur Karpovich has appealed to the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) with a request to assist in combating counterfeits of Belarusian goods on the Russian market, the ministry's press service said.
It was reported that the first joint meeting of members of the ministry and FAS boards took place in a videoconference format on Thursday, during which Karpovich, in particular, "appealed to his Russian colleagues for assistance in resolving the issue of selling consumer goods in Russia under the guise of 'Belarusian' products."
"There are no borders between Belarus and Russia, which makes our economies more open to each other. The conditions for selling goods and services are simpler. At the same time, these advantages are also used by unscrupulous market participants who try to profit from consumers using various kinds of schemes and tricks. Such business can be classified as unfair intermediation. Our work together is aimed, among other things, at suppressing this kind of activity, forming fair pricing and, as a result, protecting the interests of ordinary consumers," Karpovich was quoted by the ministry's press service as saying during the meeting.
It was reported that as part of the working agenda, representatives of the Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Ministry and FAS exchanged experience on regulating the activities of online trading platforms, the use of artificial intelligence in antimonopoly control, and control in public procurement, and also discussed further joint activities and plans.
"Recently, interaction between the Russian FAS and the ministry in law enforcement has been carried out repeatedly. All this testifies to the demand for and effectiveness of the existing instruments of interaction, as well as the deepening economic integration of our countries within the Union State," the head of the FAS, Maxim Shaskolsky, was quoted by the ministry's press service as saying during the event.
