The Presidents of Russia and Belarus exchanged congratulatory telegrams on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on the Creation of the Union State, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“The historic decision to conclude this most important agreement reflected the mutual desire to strengthen Russian-Belarusian relations, based on the centuries-old traditions of fraternal friendship, cultural and spiritual closeness,” Putin emphasized in his congratulations.
“At the current stage, commitment to the unifying idea is of great importance. The main task is to provide the necessary conditions for further improving the well-being of our citizens. I am deeply convinced that we will be able to add new dynamics to the implementation of the Union Treaty, unswervingly following the principles of equality and trust,” Lukashenko writes in turn.
Let us remind you that on Saturday the five-hour negotiations between the presidents in Sochi on deepening integration ended without statements to journalists.
Putin and Lukashenko agreed to meet again on December 20.
Meanwhile, nationalist actions against the reunification of Belarus and Russia are taking place in Minsk. The police are not breaking up the protests, leading observers to conclude that the rallies are beneficial to Lukashenko, who may cite “popular discontent” when bargaining with Moscow.
Minsk is seeking from Moscow the continuation of preferential terms for the supply of oil and gas, as well as the admission of its goods to the Russian market. At the same time, Lukashenko stated that he does not intend to sacrifice sovereignty “for a barrel of oil.”
The Union Treaty provided for the introduction of a common currency and the creation of a joint parliament. These points have not yet been implemented.