Belarus sets up inter-agency group to protect this country's interests due to Russia's sanctions against Ukraine

An inter-agency working group for assessing the consequences and working out proposals to protect the Belarusian interests due to Russian restrictive measures against the goods from Ukraine has been set up under a decree by Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich, the government press service said on Monday.

Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko was named head of the inter-agency group. The new structure included officials of the Foreign Ministry, the Economy Ministry, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Industry Ministry, the State Institute for Standardization and Certification, concerns Bellegprom, Bellesbumprom, Belneftekhim, Belgospishcheprom and other ministries and agencies.

"The inter-agency working group was instructed to attract, if necessary, to the work chiefs and specialists of republican state management bodies and other state organizations subordinate to the government and other organizations," the press service of the Council of Ministers said.

In December, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed a resolution under which retaliatory economic measures will be imposed on Ukraine starting from January 1, 2016 due to its joining the anti-Russian sanctions by the European Union and the United States.