The planned meeting between the Presidents of Belarus and Russia, Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin, in the second half of February is being actively discussed in both Minsk and Moscow.
15 February, Minsk /BELTA/. The planned meeting between the Presidents of Belarus and Russia, Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin, in the second half of February is being actively discussed in both Minsk and Moscow. The last personal contact between the leaders of the two countries was in September 2020 in Sochi, and since then, a considerable number of issues have accumulated that require the personal attention of the presidents. Against the backdrop of political events, discussions about deepening integration, and constitutional reform in Belarus, some speculations have emerged, attempts to find a hidden meaning in certain events and statements. The head of the Belarusian state himself provided a clear answer to such reasoning in his report at the VI All-Belarusian People's Congress, which BELTA reported on in detail.
Alexander Lukashenko emphasized that the country does not intend to abandon the multi-vector approach in its foreign policy. Belarus values its relations with the East, the West, and countries of the "far arc". At the same time, Russia remains the main economic partner and strategic ally. "She is not a stranger to us, because not only our people and very close Russians live there, and above all, the Russian people. This is our people, with whom we have lived for long centuries and together, sometimes back-to-back, sometimes shoulder-to-shoulder, stood and fought on the same side of the barricades," said the President. "The confirmation of the special significance of Belarusian-Russian relations within this multi-vector system has clearly manifested in light of recent events. The assistance of the Russian Federation was of paramount importance to us. At the same time, I emphasize, Russia's position is not aid to the current government, but support for a fraternal state and the Belarusian people amidst current and future global transformations."
Maintaining regular contacts at various levels, including heads of state, and discussing emerging issues from this perspective is a natural continuation of the course towards developing allied relations.
"The presidents will have truly good material on the table for discussing the future of Belarusian-Russian relations"
Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei, in an interview with RBC, confirmed that a meeting of the heads of state is being worked out, and relevant materials are being prepared for this meeting by both sides. "And I think this will also be very important, considering that the prime ministers have also met many times, and we have moved forward in resolving a number of issues of trade and economic interaction that are important for both countries. Therefore, the meeting will take place," he said.
According to the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the recent events occurring within and around Belarus and Russia may and will certainly push the countries towards closer integration processes in a bilateral format and, sooner or later, in a multilateral format within the Eurasian Economic Union. "I think our presidents have something to discuss, something to talk about, and, it seems to me, serious long-term agreements will be reached," he emphasized.
According to the minister, there are specific things that allow us to say that integration processes are moving forward, and the presidents will indeed have good material on the table for discussing the future of Belarusian-Russian relations.
"One cannot jump over stages. One cannot overstrain the situation either in Russia or, even more so, in Belarus"
The topic of deepening integration between Belarus and Russia traditionally generates the most discussions and rumours, including concerns about the potential loss of Belarusian sovereignty. The answer to this question was unequivocally stated at the nationwide forum held in Minsk. "Recently, some so-called political analysts have been trying to implant the idea into the public consciousness that deepening economic cooperation with the Russian Federation poses a threat of losing sovereignty. And the word 'integration' for them means almost the absorption of Belarus. Let's put the record straight once and for all. Belarus has advocated and will continue to advocate for economic integration in the post-Soviet space, both in bilateral and multilateral formats. And not only economic," said Alexander Lukashenko, speaking at the All-Belarusian People's Congress.
He noted that back in the 1990s, the people of Belarus spoke in favour of integration with Russia, and currently, the two countries have the most advanced level of relations compared to other integration formats in the post-Soviet space. Moreover, according to a recent opinion poll, more than 70% of respondents in Belarus still favour integration with Russia above all else. "We have gone through many stages of integration – from the CIS to the Eurasian Economic Union. But we have advanced furthest in the Union State format. We have established equal conditions for citizens of both countries: free movement, absence of double taxation, integrated pension provision, education, and healthcare. Now, it is necessary to bring economic entities to this level. The vital necessity lies in equal conditions for economic activity, energy consumption, market access, participation in public procurement, and the use of financial instruments," the President emphasised.
Alexander Lukashenko announced readiness for further substantive work to improve inter-sectoral cooperation within the Union State, while observing mutual interests and based on the equality of the two union members.
"I would like to emphasize: this process involves the full preservation of the sovereignty of both countries without the formation of any new supranational bodies. The entire system of Union State bodies has been created, and it has not yet exhausted its potential. It is viable. It cannot be thrown away. This includes the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State, the Council of Ministers of the Union State, and, finally, the supreme constitutional body - the Supreme State Council, chaired by your humble servant," the head of state said.
"That's the whole answer. Let's go through this path and see what the peoples say. Perhaps the peoples will indeed grab Lukashenko, Putin (and perhaps other presidents) by the scruff of their necks and say: 'This integration is not enough! Let's go further!' But one cannot skip stages. One cannot overstrain the situation either in Russia or, even more so, in Belarus. In this format, we can take huge steps in integration with our brotherly Russia," the Belarusian leader is confident.
As noted by the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vladimir Makei, issues of integration within the framework of the Union State have not been frozen in recent months. Issues of closer integration interaction have been constantly discussed, and heads of sectoral ministries have met with each other. "The dialogue on integration issues has not ceased. Routine work has been carried out," he emphasized in an interview.
"We need one thing - equal conditions for economic entities. And we will solve any problems"
Following the topic of integration, perhaps the most pressing issue, which is regularly discussed in the media and by analysts of both countries, concerns financial and economic interaction. Some talk about the importance of mutually beneficial cooperation in certain sectors, the removal of excessive barriers, and the interregional aspect. Others, on the contrary, focus exclusively on loans and Russian support for Belarus. Here, too, not everything is straightforward. The economies of the two countries are highly interconnected, and therefore it is still necessary to figure out who supports whom. And loans are not given just like that - they have to be repaid, with interest. These are not grants. And even those sometimes need to be worked off.
"By helping Belarus, it helps itself. After all, Belarus is the final stage of production for many sectors of the Russian economy. Cooperation provides jobs for millions of Russians and livelihoods for their families. And loans from Russia are far from charity. Do you know how much we pay per year for the credit resources we receive? A billion dollars. At least, it was like that a year ago," Alexander Lukashenko said during the All-Belarusian People's Assembly. - Russia keeps its money, let's say, in other countries, including the United States of America. But it receives significantly less interest from lending to the USA than from the money it keeps there. Therefore, yes, Russia helps us, and we are immensely grateful to it, more than anyone. But it is not charity. Often, the interest rates, as I have already said, are significantly higher than the world average, and we repay these loans on time, no one writes them off for us."
The only thing Belarus insists on is the creation of truly equal conditions for economic entities. The head of the Belarusian state has spoken about this repeatedly and has once again focused on this aspect: "I am not asking for free natural gas, oil, or free financial resources. We need one thing - equal conditions for economic entities. And we will solve any problems. And then not 70%, but the entire Belarusian people will look at Russia with reverence and believe that we, here in Belarus, being the stronghold of our united fatherland, will die for our country - and for Russia as well."
"We understand that this is precisely what, in our opinion, the direction of economic integration processes within the framework of the Union State should be. In conditions of regional isolation, our salvation is to move to a new stage of production interaction. Today, more than eight thousand enterprises in Belarus and Russia are linked by cooperation. About half of Belarusian industrial organizations are involved in it. Thanks to close economic ties, our small country has become Russia's fourth-largest foreign trade partner, consider this. Belarusian products can be found in all corners of Russia," Alexander Lukashenko stated.
In an interview with RBC, Vladimir Makei recalled that very recently, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov visited Belarus, and during a meeting with the Prime Minister, a number of important agreements on cooperation in the industrial sector were reached. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin visited Karelia and cited the joint Belarusian-Russian project for the production of forestry machinery as a positive example. "We have the 'Amkodor' enterprise engaged in this. We need to move towards joint cooperation, which will truly allow us to take our integration to a new level," the minister believes.
Answering the question of whether the request from Minsk for funds from the loan for the NPP will indeed be one of the topics of negotiations, Vladimir Makei said: "We need to talk to the Ministry of Finance, they are responsible for this area, but I think that the topic of the construction of the nuclear power plant, as a very important topic, will be discussed. I would not like to touch upon specifics now. I cannot say what specific issues will actually be discussed by the presidents."
He also did not rule out that the topic of interaction in the financial and credit sphere might be raised. "But this does not mean that Belarus will necessarily ask for loans from Russia and ask for some kind of assistance. It is possible that the issue of financial and credit interaction will be discussed in terms of implementing various profitable joint projects, which were discussed, by the way, during the visit of Deputy Prime Minister Borisov to Belarus," stated Vladimir Makei.