Moscow Hosts Minsk Days
From September 18 to 21, 2024, Minsk Days were held in the Russian capital – a large‑scale event that brought together cultural, economic, and humanitarian agendas of the two capitals. The program included concerts, fairs, a business forum, and official high‑level meetings.
The official opening took place on September 18 at the Moscow International House of Music. Welcoming addresses were delivered by Vladimir Kukharev, Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee, and Sergey Cheremin, Minister of the Government of Moscow and Head of the Department for External Economic and International Relations. The stage featured the best creative ensembles of the Republic of Belarus – the National Presidential Orchestra, soloists of Belarusian pop music, the vocal group of the Horoshki ensemble, the Kupalinka folk collective, and the legendary Pesnyary ensemble. Audiences enthusiastically received a kaleidoscope of Belarusian and Russian melodies, symbolizing the friendship between the two peoples.
A large‑scale fair‑exhibition of Belarusian goods was held on Tverskaya Square. Vladimir Kukharev, Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee, noted that enterprises presented new product lines. A total of 14 pavilions offered a wide assortment. As always, Belarusian food products were in high demand. It is noteworthy that the share of supplies from the Republic of Belarus in total food imports stands at 20%. Visitors to the fair could sample meat and dairy products, confectionery from leading producers, and also purchase knitwear, linen clothing, cosmetics, glassware, crystal, and porcelain. “We will work to conclude contracts for the supply of our products today, because we see that they are in demand and of interest to Muscovites and guests of the capital of the Russian Federation. Our task is to expand the range of products on offer and to open stores that will, I believe, become favorite shopping destinations for Muscovites,” Kukharev shared his plans.
In addition, presentations of Minsk’s tourism potential were held for fair visitors, including medical tourism. Anyone interested could book tours to Belarus on the spot. A vibrant cultural program regularly took place at the venue, featuring folk ensembles that showcased authentic national colour.
As part of Minsk Days in Moscow, the business forum “Minsk and Moscow: A New Driver of Development” was held at the Moscow City Situational Center. The forum was attended by Sergey Cheremin, Minister of the Government of Moscow and Head of the Department for External Economic and International Relations; Vladimir Kukharev, Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee; Sergey Nabeshko, Director General of the Minsk Branch of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Vladimir Platonov, President of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and other officials.
Head of the Department for External Economic and International Relations Sergey Cheremin emphasized that relations between Minsk and Moscow are built on a solid contractual foundation, with dozens of agreements in place across various fields. In January 2024, an Action Plan for Cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the City of Moscow for 2024‑2026 was signed, covering not only Moscow‑Minsk cooperation but also interaction with other Belarusian regions. Cooperation is developing in healthcare, transport, high technology, tourism, food production, and education. Minsk has shown interest in adopting the Moscow Electronic School.
The Russian capital and the Republic of Belarus also cooperate in urban environment modernization. Twenty‑two Belarusian companies are registered in the Moscow Territorial Construction Catalogue, supplying high‑quality building materials to construction sites. Belarusian enterprises provide engineering and design services to Moscow, and their design bureaus participate in developing project documentation for key transport projects and infrastructure development in the capital.
Moscow’s municipal services use Belarusian‑made utility vehicles, elevator equipment, buses, and various specialized machinery. In 2024‑2025, Belarusian enterprises supplied over 1,200 units of various equipment to the Russian capital. “The Department of External Economic Relations, together with the Minsk City Executive Committee, is currently working on a project to create a multi‑brand service center, as well as engineering centers for Belarusian enterprises in Moscow. Such a center, in our view, could serve as an export conduit for Belarusian goods and services, consolidating not only finished products but also various components, related goods, and providing maintenance services. The engineering center will focus on developing specialized machinery for Moscow’s municipal services,” Cheremin said.
The two capitals cooperate closely in metro construction. Belarusian designers participated in building the Solntsevskaya line of the Moscow metro, while the Russian capital supplied new trains for the Belarusian metro.
One of the key areas of interaction between Moscow and the Republic of Belarus is digital technology. “Moscow has come a long way in this direction. We are one of the leaders in digitalizing not only public services but virtually all areas of urban management. We are ready to share our experience and accumulated practices with our Belarusian colleagues,” Sergey Cheremin said. Moscow, in turn, is very interested in Minsk’s experience in creating unique technology parks. The possibility of mutual residency in the technology parks of Moscow and Belarus is also being discussed.
In recent years, the Republic of Belarus has held fourth place in foreign economic ties with Moscow. In 2024, foreign trade turnover exceeded $22 billion, and in the first half of 2025 it continued to grow steadily. “Supplies of agricultural products to Moscow are growing, and Muscovites are very fond of Belarusian products. Last year alone, food exports to Moscow exceeded $3 billion and are showing steady annual growth,” stated the Head of the Department for External Economic and International Relations. However, non‑food items are also in demand: clothing, footwear, furniture, household goods, perfumes, and cosmetics. The Republic of Belarus pavilion, which showcases these products, operates effectively at VDNKh and was visited by 1.2 million people last year.
According to Cheremin, Moscow and Belarus have achieved significant success in tourism. In 2024, an absolute record was set for tourist flow from the Republic of Belarus – about half a million Belarusians visited Moscow, and in total, 6 million Russians and Belarusians made mutual trips. Weekend tours to Belarus are currently in high demand. The development of tourism is supported by transport infrastructure, including an increase in flights. The minister also recalled plans to build a high‑speed railway between Moscow and Minsk.
The improvement of transport links between Moscow and Minsk was also mentioned by Sergey Glazyev, Secretary of State of the Union State. The introduction of new types of transport is currently under consideration. “The other day we discussed with the Ministry of Transport the prospect of stretching a ‘string’ between Minsk and Moscow, along which trains could move at speeds of up to 500 km/h,” Glazyev said.
He also noted that in the first half of this year, almost half of mutual trade between Russia and Belarus – 44% – was accounted for by Moscow and Minsk. Most of the technical programs of the Union State are also implemented in the capitals. Minsk and Moscow are leading cities, including smart city technologies. A promising area for cooperation is information technology; for example, a plan is currently being developed to create a new media holding in the Union State.
“I hope that from next year, just like the Eurasian Economic Commission, we will have a mechanism for subsidizing interest rates on loans raised for joint investment projects and for the production of goods. An operational base for goods of the Union State will be adopted in the near future,” Glazyev shared his plans.
As a result of the business forum, a number of agreements were signed between Belarusian and Moscow companies. The parties discussed prospects for cooperation, including the possibility of creating a platform to expand the presence of Belarusian and Russian goods, simplify many procedures, and enable rapid VAT refunds.
As part of Minsk Days, a meeting was held between Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin and Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee Vladimir Kukharev. The heads of the two capitals signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the digitalization of urban governance. The parties also decided to expand mutually beneficial cooperation between Moscow and Minsk across various areas of the economy, social development, and municipal services.