MOSCOW, 18 February (BelTA) - The Russian State Duma ratified the treaty on security guarantees within the Union State between Russia and Belarus at the plenary session on 18 February, BelTA learned.
The treaty was signed by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the margins of the meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State in Minsk on 6 December 2024. It is aimed at building up joint efforts to effectively respond to modern challenges and threats in order to strengthen the security of the parties within the framework of the common defense space of the Union State.
Presenting the document for ratification, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko recalled that the idea to sign the treaty was put forward by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko. He suggested it during the talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on 5 April 2023. “It was supported by the Russian leader,” the deputy foreign minister emphasized.
“On the Russian side, the treaty was drafted by the Russian Foreign Ministry in cooperation with the Office of the Russian Security Council, Russian agencies concerned, primarily the Defense Ministry and the Justice Ministry. Several rounds of bilateral interdepartmental consultations were held, and very close work was carried out through experts,” he said.
According to the treaty, the parties undertake to support each other by all methods and means agreed upon and permissible under international law and to take appropriate actions in the political, military and other avenues in cases of encroachments on the security of any of the parties and the Union State as a whole. Such encroachments are understood to mean the purposeful creation or implementation of a threat to the sovereignty, independence and/or constitutional order of the parties, the integrity and inviolability of the territory and external border of the Union State by third states and their associations, international organizations, terrorist and extremist organizations and groups.
“The parties consider an armed attack on a member state of the Union State as an act of aggression against the Union State as a whole and will take appropriate retaliatory measures using all forces and means at their disposal in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations and the legislation of the parties,” the document states.
It also reads that the parties regard the nuclear weapons of the Russian Federation as an important factor in preventing the outbreak of nuclear military conflicts and military conflicts with the use of conventional means of destruction, as well as a means of deterrence, the use of which is an extreme and forced measure. “The nuclear weapons of the Russian Federation may be used in response to the use of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction against any of the parties, as well as in the event of aggression against any of the parties with the use of conventional weapons, creating a critical threat to its sovereignty or territorial integrity,” the treaty reads.
"The decision to use Russia's nuclear weapons deployed on the territory of Belarus for its defense shall be made in accordance with the procedure established by the parties," the document reads.
The treaty also stipulates the possibility to jointly counteract illegitimate sanctions. "In case of introduction of unilateral restrictive economic and other measures against any of the parties by third states and their associations, international organizations, any party may initiate consideration of collective counteraction to these restrictive measures, including on the basis of mutual support within the state economic policy and through the adoption of necessary measures by the bodies of the Union State, taking into account the national interests of each of the parties," the document notes.
Alexander Grushko said that the treaty was concluded for 10 years with the possibility of automatic extension.
The treaty was signed by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the margins of the meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State in Minsk on 6 December 2024. It is aimed at building up joint efforts to effectively respond to modern challenges and threats in order to strengthen the security of the parties within the framework of the common defense space of the Union State.
Presenting the document for ratification, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko recalled that the idea to sign the treaty was put forward by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko. He suggested it during the talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on 5 April 2023. “It was supported by the Russian leader,” the deputy foreign minister emphasized.
“On the Russian side, the treaty was drafted by the Russian Foreign Ministry in cooperation with the Office of the Russian Security Council, Russian agencies concerned, primarily the Defense Ministry and the Justice Ministry. Several rounds of bilateral interdepartmental consultations were held, and very close work was carried out through experts,” he said.
According to the treaty, the parties undertake to support each other by all methods and means agreed upon and permissible under international law and to take appropriate actions in the political, military and other avenues in cases of encroachments on the security of any of the parties and the Union State as a whole. Such encroachments are understood to mean the purposeful creation or implementation of a threat to the sovereignty, independence and/or constitutional order of the parties, the integrity and inviolability of the territory and external border of the Union State by third states and their associations, international organizations, terrorist and extremist organizations and groups.
“The parties consider an armed attack on a member state of the Union State as an act of aggression against the Union State as a whole and will take appropriate retaliatory measures using all forces and means at their disposal in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations and the legislation of the parties,” the document states.
It also reads that the parties regard the nuclear weapons of the Russian Federation as an important factor in preventing the outbreak of nuclear military conflicts and military conflicts with the use of conventional means of destruction, as well as a means of deterrence, the use of which is an extreme and forced measure. “The nuclear weapons of the Russian Federation may be used in response to the use of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction against any of the parties, as well as in the event of aggression against any of the parties with the use of conventional weapons, creating a critical threat to its sovereignty or territorial integrity,” the treaty reads.
"The decision to use Russia's nuclear weapons deployed on the territory of Belarus for its defense shall be made in accordance with the procedure established by the parties," the document reads.
The treaty also stipulates the possibility to jointly counteract illegitimate sanctions. "In case of introduction of unilateral restrictive economic and other measures against any of the parties by third states and their associations, international organizations, any party may initiate consideration of collective counteraction to these restrictive measures, including on the basis of mutual support within the state economic policy and through the adoption of necessary measures by the bodies of the Union State, taking into account the national interests of each of the parties," the document notes.
Alexander Grushko said that the treaty was concluded for 10 years with the possibility of automatic extension.
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