Belarus, Russia, Ukr border reg council meets in Kursk

The 16th meeting of the council of leaders of Belarussian, Russian and Ukrainian border regions opened in Kursk on Saturday. Representatives of central authorities of the three states, diplomats, border guard troops representatives and leaders of 15 border regions are participating in the meeting. They discuss an interregional ecological programme to protect and use waters of the Seversky Donets River basin, interregional cooperation between institutions of higher learning within the border Belarussian-Russian-Ukrainian university consortium and a draft agreement between the Ukrainian and Russian governments on regulations for residents of border regions to cross the state border.