Russia: Putin and Lukashenko announce agreement on 28 joint Union State programmes

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Russian and Belarusian presidents Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko met for talks at the Kremlin on Thursday, where they agreed on all 28 Union State programmes on the agenda.

Many of these programmes are aimed at harmonising the two countries’ tax and customs legislation of the countries, said Putin.

The talks also touched upon the formation of the common defence space between Russia and Belarus and the provision of security.

Putin referred to the upcoming joint Russian-Belarusian exercise Zapad-2021.

“These exercises are not directed against anybody. But they are logical at a time when other alliances, NATO, for example, is actively building up its military presence near the borders of the Union State and the CSTO space,” he noted.

Lukashenko noted that if the countries need integration in the military, political or economic spheres, the leaders will do so “instantly”, as soon as they “feel the demands of our people in Belarus and in Russia.”

The leaders also agreed on new financial support for Minsk from Russia.

SOT, Vladimir Putin, Russian President (Russian): “I would like to note with satisfaction that all twenty-eight programmes have been agreed. Tomorrow it is planned to approve them at the meeting of the Union State Council of Ministers in Minsk, after which they will be submitted for approval to the Supreme State Council of the Union State.”

SOT, Vladimir Putin, Russian President (Russian): “Discussions focused on building a common defence space and ensuring the security of the Union State on the external perimeter. In this context, we have paid great attention and importance to the upcoming Zapad-2021 joint exercise in Russia and Belarus. These exercises are not directed against anybody. But they are logical at a time when other alliances, NATO, for example, is actively building up its military presence near the borders of the Union State and the CSTO space.”

SOT, Vladimir Putin, Russian President (Russian): “It is envisaged to sign an agreement on common principles of levying indirect taxes, to introduce an integrated system of administration of indirect taxes within the Union State. The aim is to make the structure of the price of goods visible. There are also general guidelines for the future formation of the common monetary policy, currency regulation, integration of the national payment systems and creation of the common payment space within the Union State. All this will help ensure fair competition and increase business activity in the financial market, as well as effectively respond to the risks of money laundering and financing of criminal activities, including terrorism.”

SOT, Aleksander Lukashenko, Belarusian President (Russian): “It’s time to ask our critics in Belarus - exactly in Belarus - who are very numerous - both fugitives and the so-called oppositionists living in Belarus - criticising me and the authorities, and I want to ask them, and the critics of our integration in Russia: and where do you see a weight on the leg of the Russian Federation here? There is nothing bad for the peoples of Belarus and Russia in these programmes, everything is aimed, as the President of Russia has said, at the growth of the well-being of our peoples.”

SOT, Aleksander Lukashenko, Belarusian President (Russian): “Delicately, the President of Russia did not say anything about all sorts of speculations, that someone is going to swallow someone else up and so on and so forth. I have to say that we did not have this disease with the President of Russia. If someone is sick with it, we can treat it.”

SOT, Aleksander Lukashenko, Belarusian President (Russian): “We will do everything that is in the interests of the people. And if we need even closer military, political, another direction, economic integration, we will do it instantly, as soon as we feel the demands of our people in Belarus and in Russia.”

SOT, Vladimir Putin, Russian President (Russian): “Governments are negotiating. Alexander Grigorievich and I also talked about this. The total amount of loans from September this year until the end of 2022 will be somewhere around 630 million dollars.”

SOT, Vladimir Putin, Russian President (Russian): “It does not concern us, it is not our border. It is the border of the Republic of Belarus and the state border of Lithuania and Poland. This raises the first question. Everyone wants in principle and speaks directly to the Taliban, even though it is on the United Nations list of terrorist organizations. Nonetheless, they say that yes, the Taliban control the territory, they must talk to them. But Alexander Lukashenko, the President of Belarus, came to power not by armed struggle but by voting. Whether someone likes or dislikes the result is a different matter. My answer is: go and talk to the Belarusian authorities, what are you talking to us for? So Russia has nothing to do with it.
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