Press release on the upcoming talks between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of the Republic of Belarus Sergey Aleinik
On June 24-25, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will pay an official visit to Minsk, which will be timed to coincide with the 32nd anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and Belarus.
The programme of the visit includes meetings with President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, Speaker of the Council of the Republic Natalya Kochanova and Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Igor Sergeenko, as well as talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Aleinik. Sergey Lavrov will also lay a wreath at the Victory Monument and address students and teachers at the Academy of Public Administration under the President of Belarus.
The two foreign ministers will discuss a wide range of bilateral and international issues, as well as foreign policy coordination at multilateral venues. They will also focus on diplomatic support for integration processes within the Union State and efforts to create a new Eurasian security architecture. They will outline a schedule for further contacts, including an annual joint meeting of the collegiums of the foreign ministries of Russia and Belarus to be held in the fourth quarter of 2024 in Minsk.
Following the talks, the two foreign ministers are planning to sign a joint statement on the main tasks in the context of the foreign policy dimension of union integration and a joint appeal to the heads of executive structures of friendly Eurasian associations with an invitation to dialogue on security in Eurasia and work on an Eurasian Charter on Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st Century.
Belarus is Russia’s closest ally and strategic partner. Our nations are united by long-standing traditions of friendship and mutual assistance, cultural and spiritual community, a common historical past and guidelines for the future.
The two countries maintain an active political dialogue at the high and highest levels. The presidents of Russia and Belarus held nine meetings in 2023 (ten meetings in 2022) and had telephone conversations over 20 times. Since the beginning of this year, they have met five times: on the sidelines of the Supreme State Council of the Union State in St Petersburg on January 29, at the opening of the Games of the Future multi-sport tournament on February 21 in Kazan, on April 11 and May 8 in Moscow, as well as on May 24 in Minsk, during President Vladimir Putin’s official visit to the Republic of Belarus. Several telephone conversations took place.
Specific areas of comprehensive bilateral cooperation are developed during regular contacts between heads of government. In 2024, Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Mishustin and Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko held talks on January 29 in St Petersburg on the sidelines of the Supreme State Council of the Union State and on April 15 in Moscow, and also took part in the meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Nesvizh, the Minsk Region, on June 3–4.
Contacts are maintained between heads of parliament chambers, deputy prime ministers, secretaries of security councils, heads of ministries and departments.
On June 17, Minsk hosted the 66th session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Belarus and Russia chaired by Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin.
Russia and Belarus cooperate fruitfully on a wide range of issues within union building. December 8 marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on the Creation of the Union State.
Every year, joint programmes and projects are implemented in the field of security, medicine, preservation of historical memory, scientific and technical research, as well as in other areas, at the expense of the Union State budget (it accounts for about 7 billion Russian roubles in 2024).
The state and prospects of union building are discussed at the meetings of the Supreme State Council of the Union State (the latest one was chaired by President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on January 29 in St Petersburg), the Council of Ministers of the Union State (November 29, 2023, chaired by Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Mishustin) and the High-Level Group of the Union State Council of Ministers (June 10 in Smolensk, co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Alexei Overchuk and Belarusian Ambassador to Russia Dmitry Krutoy). A working group on the implementation of the provisions of the Treaty on the Creation of the Union State has been operating since 2019 to develop proposals on further integration (co-chaired by Alexei Overchuk and First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Nikolai Snopkov).
Union building was largely boosted in 2021, when the Guidelines for Implementing the Provisions of the Treaty Establishing the Union State for 2021–2023, which includes 28 union programmes, were adopted at a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State. As part of their implementation, 993 integration measures were implemented, and 211 legal acts and international treaties developed aimed at harmonising the legislation of Russia and Belarus. As a result, solid foundation was created to implement a unified macroeconomic, industrial and agricultural policy, form a single transport market and uniform competition rules, and ensure equal consumer rights. Large groundwork has been laid to form a unified legal space for businesses and the two countries’ citizens, with five information systems put into operation to track the movement of vehicles and goods. The Union State’s institutional base has been strengthened: the Interstate Customs Centre and the Supranational Tax Committee have been created.
Acceleration of integration processes was facilitated by the approval of a new set of integration measures at the meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State in January 2024 – the Guidelines for Implementing the Provisions of the Treaty Establishing the Union State for 2024–2026. This strategic document comprises 11 sections and includes 120 tasks in the macroeconomic, industrial, legal, agrarian, transport, financial, cultural and humanitarian areas. As a follow-up, 31 sectoral action plans have been developed, which are now almost agreed upon.
A roundtable discussion “25 Years of Integration – Results and New Challenges” was held on June 6 as part of the SPIEF 2024 programme. It involved deputy prime ministers, and heads of a number of agencies and regions.
Russia is the core investor in the Belarusian economy and its leading trade partner. Our country accounted for 57.4 percent of the Belarusian foreign trade in 2023. The bilateral trade made up $46.5 billion in 2023, which is 5.2 percent more than in 2022. Belarus with its 6.5-percent share ranked fourth in trade with Russia among foreign countries and placed first among the CIS. In the first quarter of 2024, our trade totaled $10.4 billion.
Amid the sanctions war unleashed by the collective West, Russia and Belarus are taking joint steps aimed at countering unilateral restrictions and strengthening the financial, economic and technological sovereignty of the Union State, developing industrial cooperation, implementing import substitution programmes, including through joint investment projects.
We have made significant progress in the formation of a single Union State space in defence and security. The joint Regional Group of Forces deployed in the Republic, up-to-date Russian defence systems and tactical nuclear weapons reliably protect western borders of the Union State and the CSTO providing a counterbalance to neo-Nazi Ukraine and NATO groups stationed in neighbouring countries. Military-technical cooperation is deepening, including industrial cooperation through defence industry enterprises. The Union State's draft security concept and bilateral interstate treaty on security guarantees are at an advanced stage of preparation.
The foreign policy interaction between Russia and Belarus is of a systemic nature. This year, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with his Belarusian counterpart Sergey Aleinik in St Petersburg on January 29 and in Minsk on April 12 on the sidelines of the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers.
In line with the foreign policy programmes of joint actions, regularly updated since 1996, Russia and Belarus jointly defend common interests in the world arena, act based on single or close positions on practically the entire international agenda, closely coordinate their approaches and render each other support at a variety of multilateral platforms.
The currently effective programme, unlike the previous ones, is not for two years but for a three-year cycle of 2024-2026. This is required by synchronising it with the key working document of the union integration – the Guidelines for Implementing the Provisions of the Treaty Establishing the Union State for 2024–2026, which like the programme was approved by the Supreme State Council of the Union State in St Petersburg on January 29.
Although keeping continuity with the earlier documents, the new programme reflects reformatting of the Russian and Belarusian foreign policy priorities, given the hostile course of the collective West that necessitated a radical turn towards friendly and neutral countries of the Global South and East. The programme accentuates the priority of foreign policy and diplomatic support for the integration work within the Union State.
Pursuant to the programme, Russian and Belarusian foreign ministries coordinate approaches and promote joint initiatives at the Eurasian integration associations. They actively interact within international organisations, above all in the United Nations and the OSCE, where they co-author resolutions and jointly oppose anti-Russia and anti-Belarus initiatives. They assist each other in building up cooperation with constructive countries of the Global Majority and their regional associations. They also coordinate their approaches to developing relations with unfriendly countries and their associations. The new programme contains an expanded humanitarian section with an emphasis on the support of developing scientific, educational and cultural space of the Union State, patriotic education of the young people and preservation of historical memory.
Russian and Belarusian foreign ministries annually hold meetings of their collegiums and consultations at the level of deputy ministers and department heads to compare notes on the current areas of cooperation starting from 2000, which is an effective mechanism of synchronising efforts in the world arena.
Interregional ties are a significant component of Russia-Belarus relations. More than 80 Russian regions are involved in trade and economic interaction with Belarus.
In 2023. 91 delegations from the Russian regions visited Belarus, and 96 Belarusian official delegations and 136 business delegations visited Russia. Regular visits to the Russian regions, 15 in 2023, by the head of the Belarusian government are now a common occurrence. This year, 12 heads of the Russian regions have visited Belarus. President of the Republic Alexander Lukashenko visited Irkutsk on June 4-5, and Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko visited Astrakhan on January 31-February 1, and Sochi on April 29.
The annual Forum of the Regions of Russia and Belarus, which has been held since 2014 with the sponsorship of the respective upper chambers of parliaments, is an effective tool for promoting interregional ties. During the 10th forum held in Ufa in the summer of 2023, about 100 documents on cooperation were signed and contracts were concluded for a record-setting amount of 110 billion roubles. On June 26-28, Vitebsk and Polotsk will host the 11th Forum dedicated to scientific and technological progress and innovations.
Cultural and humanitarian ties are making strides, including through direct contacts between educational, scientific, cultural, sports and public organisations, as well as through interagency and interregional cooperation programmes.
Days of culture, tours by performing arts groups, theatre and music festivals, which are often financed from the Union State budget, are held on a regular basis. Russian and Belarusian cities annually hold mass participation cultural events on April 2 to mark the Day of Unity of the Peoples of Russia and Belarus.
The International Festival of Arts, Slavyansky Bazaar in Vitebsk, and holding Union State Day on its margins contribute to the cultural convergence of our nations. Talented Russians and Belarusians are awarded the Union State prizes for their contribution to promoting literature and art, as well as scientific research and technology.
Traditionally, the focus is on preserving historical memory and popularising common history.
In late January, under the auspices of the presidential executive offices of the two countries, a Joint Russian-Belarusian Commission on History was established, which will coordinate joint efforts to protect historical truth, including in study materials.
On July 3, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Minsk from Nazi invaders will be marked on the Independence Day of Belarus. State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin will take part in the festivities on behalf of Russia.
Joint war memory projects are underway, including those held as part of the Union State activities, such as repairs, restoration, reconstruction and museumisation of the Brest Fortress, creation of a Victorious Soldier sculpture for the Historical and Cultural Memorial Complex titled “Northern Facet of the Kursk Bulge.”
Without exaggeration, the Russia-Belarus relations are a model of equal and mutually beneficial cooperation between countries, and the level of interaction within the Union State is what other integration associations in the post-Soviet space should strive to achieve.
