Lukashenko reflects on decision to establish Belarus-Russia Union State 

 

Aleksandr Lukashenko said that at that time he and the first President of Russia Boris Yeltsin discussed 'all these moves of theirs', they were outraged, but nothing could be done. “As the incumbent president of Russia says, we were deceived,” he noted.

And NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia, noted Aleksandr Lukashenko, exposed the true goals of the Alliance. Everyone saw that the principles of peaceful coexistence declared by the West and international law are in fact no longer capable of guaranteeing anything. “This international law was trampled before everyone's eyes,” the president emphasized.

The internal situation was also unstable - a crisis in the economy and society, disorderly redistribution of state property and rampant corruption. “We realized that we can only rely on ourselves. The reality on the ground pushed us to take more decisive steps towards closer cooperation and development of joint guarantees of economic and military security. Together with the first President of Russia Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin (I am very grateful to him for this), with the support of the peoples of our countries,  primarily Russians, we made the only right decision - to establish a Union State. We cast aside all fears about who could devour whom, who would govern whom, who would get what in the end,” said the Belarusian leader. 

Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled that during the vote in the Federation Council in 2000, 158 senators upheld the adoption of the Union State Treaty. No one voted against, only two abstained.

The head of state noted that the powerful starting conditions for Belarus-Russia integration created a solid foundation for its sustainability and vast development opportunities in the military, economic and political spheres. Aleksandr Lukashenko attributed it to the common history, common tasks and similar national interests; the benefits of the alliance associated with geographical and infrastructural advantages; unwavering focus on results, since integration entails expanded opportunities for citizens and organizations of the two countries.

The Union State's internal stability was boosted by an extensive legal framework. The 28 industry programs  made it possible to unify legislations, launch import-substituting projects and give a new lease on life to the Union State Treaty signed in 1999. Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled that the day before, when asked whether the heads of state were satisfied with the progress to implement the programs, Vladimir Putin unequivocally answered in the positive. The president of Belarus is also happy about the progress.

“What makes the Union State unique is that it is a more advanced format of bilateral relations, which, unfortunately, may have no analogues in the world. Thanks to our joint work, it is a vibrant entity that gives us the tools we need, allows us to develop and test new methods of work depending on  circumstances. A striking example is our handling of the latest frantic, absolutely illegal sanctions imposed by the West. This format of cooperation fully ensures our security in a broad sense - from economic and information security to military security, it allows us to maintain a high level of cooperation despite logistical failures and problems with financial settlements. Despite the difference in resource potential, Belarus and Russia complement each other organically, and also bridge the gaps that each of us has, combining the advantages of each country,” the Belarusian leader is confident.