“Very serious” integration of Russia and Belarus
Alexander Lukashenko called the agreements reached during the agreement with Vladimir Putin on the integration of the two countries “very serious”. The meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State of Russia and Belarus may take place on November 4, he added.
During the talks in Moscow, 28 union programs were agreed. What does this mean in practice, Euronews asked the Belarusian political scientist Valery Karbalevich:
“One more step has been taken on the way of rapprochement between Belarus and Russia. Belarus is even more strongly falling into the sphere of geopolitical control by Moscow. This is fundamentally important for Russia today, especially against the background of the events that happened in Belarus last year. Economic mechanisms, macroeconomic unification policy and legislation would mean that it is in the sphere of influence of Russia, provided that the authorities change in Minsk, “Karbalevich said.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will spend Friday in Minsk, where the Council of the Council of Ministers of the Union State is being held. It will approve the adopted “road maps” for the integration of the two countries in the field of tax energy, air travel, and payment systems. But they check not to flatter themselves:
“It took three years to develop and sign these road maps or union programs,” continues Valery Karbalevich. – Nobody knows how long it will take to implement them. It says there until 2025-2027. I doubt that these deadlines will be met … I am sure that there will be many contradictions, disputes and discussions on the way of implementing the programs. In Belarusian-Russian relations, the documents signed and implemented are two big differences. Both sides are trying to fulfill only what is beneficial for them, and what is not profitable – they are trying to sabotage. “
The strategic exercises of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus “West-2021”, which are held every two years, also started this Friday. In total, up to 200 thousand personnel are participating in the exercises, up to 760 units of military equipment are involved.