Russian and Belguim Prime Ministers sign agreements

On Wednesday, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov and Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt signed three agreement on bilateral cooperation in various spheres. After the negotiations, Mikhail Kasyanov announced that the parties had signed intergovernmental agreements on cooperation in space research, fighting crime and a joint Belgian - Russian program for 2001 and 2002. Kasyanov said that the joint program elaborates cooperation in political, economic, social, trade, military and cultural spheres. The document is to stimulate cooperation between particular enterprises, between business circles and educational institutions, he added. Russian Prime Minister stressed that Russia is interested in investments from Belgium and in expanding of bilateral cooperation. Despite of the fact that Belgium is not a large country, trade turnover between the two countries reaches $3 billion, Kasyanov was quoted by "Ria-Novosti" as saying. The Russian Prime Minister described Russia’s relations with Belgium as ''exemplary''. This experience could be used improve cooperation with other EU countries, he added.