Union Time: Russia and Belarus realized integration plans for 2024
Russia and Belarus have fulfilled the fifth part of the action plan to implement the provisions of the agreement on the creation of the Union State for 2024-2026, State Secretary of the Union State Dmitry Mezentsev told "Izvestia". According to him, work is now underway on the formation of a socio-economic forecast until 2030. Against this background, the trade turnover between the two countries in 2024 increased by 14% and amounted to almost $60 billion. The expert community is confident that economic cooperation between Moscow and Minsk will only grow in the future, and mutual trade can reach $70 billion. New successes in the integration of Russia and Belarus - in the material "Izvestia".
How Russia and Belarus develop their relations
For more than three decades, Moscow and Minsk have been successfully strengthening bilateral cooperation. At the same time, the Union State (US), which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, plays a central role in the integration of the two countries. According to State Secretary of the Union State Dmitry Mezentsev, the countries have fulfilled the fifth part of the action plan to implement the provisions of the agreement on the creation of the Union State for 2024-2026.
Meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State, December 6, 2024
- The successes are obvious. We expect almost $60 billion in trade turnover between Russia and Belarus by the end of 2024. We note a qualitatively different level, quality, depth and scale of interaction between the regions. Now we are working on the formation of socio-economic forecast of the Union State until 2030, which has never happened before. - He told Izvestia. - Everything is being done in a consistent, calibrated and scaled to the tasks that are at hand. One fifth of the 310 tasks that formed the basis of the 31 Action Plan for the implementation of the provisions of the Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State for 2024-2026 have already been successfully completed.
Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko signed the decree on the main directions of implementing the provisions of the Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State for 2024-2026 in January 2024. Six months later, the corresponding detailed plan was approved, which provides for the implementation of more than 300 measures in 11 areas, including industry, energy, transport, legal space, cultural and humanitarian cooperation, among others.
- It is significant that December 8 was widely celebrated as a special day in Belarus and Russia - the day of signing the agreement that united the potentials, tasks and plans for the future of Belarus and Russia. On December 6, 2024, presidents of the two countries Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State. At this meeting, heads of government Mikhail Mishustin and Roman Golovchenko reported on the successes of socio-economic integration," reminded Dmitry Mezentsev.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State, December 6, 2024.
At the same time in December, an agreement was signed on the formation of a unified electricity market, which should allow to reduce prices for consumers. At the same time, the president of Belarus expressed hope for the early launch of the common market of gas, oil and petroleum products. By the way, the strategy of scientific and technological development of the Union State until 2035, aimed at achieving technological sovereignty, was approved earlier.
In addition, Moscow and Minsk strengthened military and political cooperation by approving last year two significant documents in the field of defense - a treaty on security guarantees within the Union State, as well as a new concept of security of the SU. According to the treaty on guarantees, an armed attack on a member state of the Union State is considered an act of aggression against the Union State as a whole.
These agreements supplement the legal framework for the integration of Russia and Belarus, which fully corresponds to the current level of relations between the two countries, Nikolai Mezhevich, head of the Center for Belarusian Studies at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia.
Second stage of the exercise of non-strategic nuclear forces of Russia and Belarus in June 2024
In practical terms, the military and political interaction between the two countries was manifested in the participation of the Belarusian military in June 2024 in the second stage of the Russian exercises with non-strategic nuclear weapons. In addition, a new Russian missile system "Oreshnik" is expected to be deployed in Belarus this year.
By the way, the new bases of Russia's state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence, approved in November 2024, included a provision on readiness to use nuclear weapons in case of aggression against Belarus if it poses a critical threat to its sovereignty. Back in the spring of 2023, Moscow and Minsk agreed to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory.
Economic aspect of Russia-Belarus integration
The growth of trade turnover has also become an important indicator of the development of integration of the Union State. It is important that the volume of mutual trade has been growing steadily in recent years. Thus, the trade turnover between Russia and Belarus in 2022 exceeded $43 billion, and by the end of 2023 - $53 billion. The total growth for three years amounted to almost 59%. At the same time, 98% of mutual settlements between the two countries are conducted in national currencies.
At the same time, not only the turnover is growing, but also the shares of the countries in the structure of each other's trade. Thus, the share of the Russian Federation in the import of Belarus in 2024 amounted to about 57%, which is the maximum value in recent years. In turn, the Belarusian component in Russian imports rose to 10%, which is twice as high as in the last decade. In the next few years, trade turnover between Russia and Belarus will continue to grow, said Nikolai Mezhevich.
- These indicators will increase: $70 billion is an achievable goal. But there will still be some stagnation, as sooner or later we will hit the ceiling associated with the volume of our economies," says the expert.
It should be noted that Russia and Belarus show steady economic growth under the sanctions pressure. According to the results of 2023, Russia's GDP increased by 3.6%, while the GDP of Belarus - by 3.9%. In 2024, the economies of the two countries, according to preliminary estimates, added 4%. The common industrial policy played a big role in the development of economic cooperation between the two countries. In particular, last year the access of Belarusian and Russian products to the programs implemented with state support in both countries was ensured, and an agreement on the recognition of electronic digital signature was ratified.
The convergence of industrial policies is also evident in the fact that Moscow and Minsk are implementing 27 joint import substitution programs related to microelectronics, machine-tool and machine-building, nuclear power and space exploration. An example of the scale of cooperation is the agreement on the production of the light-engine airplane "Osvey" on the basis of the 558th aircraft repair plant in Baranovichi. The first prototype aircraft should take to the air in 2026-2027.
The results of integration benefit not only businesses, but also ordinary citizens of Russia and Belarus. In particular, the parties were recently able to resolve the issues of mutual recognition of visas - from January 11, 2025. In addition, the abolition of roaming and the introduction of unified car insurance are also expected in March.
Finally, Moscow and Minsk agreed to expand funding for projects to preserve the common historical memory, primarily about the Great Patriotic War. By increasing the budget of the Union State by 15% in 2025, financing of five programs and 37 activities of the SU will be expanded. For example, we are talking about the restoration of the Brest Fortress and the creation of a sculptural composition for the memorial complex on the northern front of the Kursk Bulge. In total, the parties have planned 41 events of cultural, social and civil-patriotic orientation for 2025.
Now Russia and Belarus are engaged in solving a number of private problems, building cooperation and formation of common legislation, says Nikolai Mezhevich. However, in order to make the next major step, it is necessary to take care of the institutional basis of cooperation. Moscow and Minsk have long outgrown the stage of economic union, more complex tools for coordinating socio-economic development are needed, summarized the expert.
