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The meeting was timed to coincide with the 25^th anniversary of the Treaty Establishing the Union State.

A package of documents was signed during the meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State, includinge decrees of the Supreme State Council of the Union State “On Uniform Consumer Protection Rules” and “On Certain Measures to Combat the Illegal Import of Goods into the Territory of the Union State.” A number of resolutions of the Supreme State Council of the Union State were also signed, such as “On the Security Concept of the Union State,” “On Organising and Holding Events to Celebrate the 80^th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War,” as well as a number of resolutions, in particular, on the abolition of roaming on the territory of the Union State.

Following the meeting, a ceremony was held to sign interstate documents: the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus on Security Guarantees within the Union State and the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus on the Unified Electricity Market of the Union State.

The presidents of Russia and Belarus also made statements for the media.

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Remarks by presidents of Russia and Belarus at the meeting

President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko: Mr Putin, members of the Supreme State Council, participants in today’s meeting.

I am delighted to welcome all of you to the capital of Belarus ahead of the 25^th anniversary of the Treaty Establishing the Union State.

Today, we can confidently state that back in 1999 we made the right choice. In fact, it is only through this allied tandem that we have been able to benefit from our shared experience and potential based on the principles of mutual trust and partnership.

Our bilateral relations, in their current form, demonstrate the strong and mutual bond between our countries, which is based on a shared language, the fact that our two countries have similar systems for training specialists in engineering and technology, while our people have a great deal in common in terms of their mindsets, cultural traditions and their shared history. This provides for a unique experience in international affairs, with two countries, two economies and a single economic space. This framework has stood the test of time and has proven its worth.

Faced with unprecedented sanctions pressure, we have succeeded in keeping the core sectors of our economies afloat and kept the financial system up and running, while unemployment has remained at an all-time low, and household incomes have been rising. Not only have we stood our ground, but we have become stronger.

Let me share just a few economic statistics with you.

Compared to 1999, our two countries have made great strides in terms of their GDP growth, which has increased by about 150 percent. Bilateral trade has been growing too. Last year, it reached $55 billion, and is expected to reach about $60 billion this year if it continues growing at the same rate.

That said, we must ask ourselves: Have we done or anticipated everything to perpetuate this progress and make it immune to any fluctuations?

We need our governments and all sectors of our respective economies to work together in a well-coordinated and responsible manner to overcome new challenges as they emerge. We must now deliver on new objectives in the current situation. In their reports, Belarusian and Russian government officials will elaborate on efforts to respond to these developments from a practical perspective.

I would like to outline several strategic directions for our further development.

Firstly, it is essential to address the persistent issues that have hindered our progress for many years. These challenges exist, and as the President of Russia remarked at a recent meeting in Moscow, there is no need for reticence – tell us what remains unfinished, the people will understand.

I believe that the primary objective is to implement a unified economic policy and ensure equal rights for citizens within our Union State. We have yet to achieve the level of self-sufficiency and independence necessary for long-term developmental planning, which would shield us from external factors and various challenges.

The mechanisms for addressing this task are evident: a harmonised industrial policy, unified approaches to food security, a shared energy market, the gradual attainment of technological sovereignty, and judicious import substitution. It is also crucial to eliminate the remaining barriers to bilateral trade.

We have already initiated joint ventures in sectors such as microelectronics, machine tool engineering, aircraft manufacturing, and shipbuilding; however, progress remains insufficient. Currently, there are only 27 import-substitution projects underway for the combined market of Belarus and Russia, with a total GDP estimated at two trillion dollars. This figure should, in my view, be exponentially higher. Both Belarus and Russia stand to gain from these projects.

In both nations, our collaboration has resulted in the creation of new jobs and the emergence of innovative products. Today, we will take another significant step in our union-building efforts by signing an agreement to establish a unified electricity market. For the establishment of an equitable economic environment, we are anticipating the prompt launch of unified markets for gas, oil, and oil products. Efforts are ongoing in these areas.

Regardless of the objectives we pursue in constructing our Union State, its foremost aim and target audience are our citizens – those who believe in us, trust us, and anticipate a responsive approach to their needs and demands. Consequently, ensuring equal rights for the citizens of Belarus and Russia is a pivotal topic.

Over the past 25 years, significant progress has been made in the areas of migration, social and labour relations, and healthcare.

There are no restrictions on movement within both states. Equal rights in employment, recognition of work experience, and labour protection have been secured. Issues regarding pensions and social insurance have been resolved. All citizens have access to urgent emergency medical care. Our experts estimate that approximately 60,000 Russian citizens received medical treatment in Belarus in 2023 alone. Support is extended to families with children and specific population categories.

What particularly pleases us is that for holidays, festivals, and in general, Belarus remains the most attractive destination for tourists from a vast country like Russia.

Much remains to be done, though. Everyone, without exception, should experience practical advantages provided by our union.

Transport and logistics come second. Belarusian exports went through Russian ports, which turned out to be a mutually beneficial arrangement. On the one hand, it has taken care of export logistics and, on the other hand, it has significantly boosted the Russian companies’ revenue.

However, there are still many untapped reserves. The Northern Sea Route project will be implemented next. We have done a trial run of transporting cargo along this route, and it worked out well.

Our Russian partners are working on a pilot project to build a high-speed Moscow-St Petersburg railway. We are looking forward to seeing it connect Moscow with Minsk. Mr President, your announcement that this railway will go from Moscow through Minsk to Brest inspired the Belarusians, because many people move between Minsk and Moscow, and we even had to add two more trains of late.

Military and political security is third. Ongoing developments make us place great emphasis on the defence capability of our respective countries. The Union State security concept and the interstate treaty on security guarantees that we signed today will take us to a whole new level of strategic alliance and coordination in the military sphere.

This will make it possible to prevent violation of the territorial integrity of Belarus and Russia, to preserve our sovereignty and independence and, most importantly, to guarantee peaceful life for our citizens. Mr President, our intention to sign this treaty got our Western “partners,” as you call them, into a state. This is probably not a bad thing. It caught their attention.

Fourth, planning and redistribution of labour resources. It is no secret that every year the Russian labour market takes in a significant number of Belarusians, which means that we, just like Russia, experience labour shortages. We need to coordinate our policies in this area and use efficient legal mechanisms that would take into account the interests of both sides.

Friends,

Importantly, we discuss quite special topics all the time. In May 2025, Belarusians and Russians, alongside other peoples of the former USSR and everyone who shares our values, will mark the 80^th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. This is a crucially important commemorative date for our people who are bound by common history and share spiritual and cultural values.

Just like our ancestors did 80 years ago, on May 9, we will commemorate the victims of that terrible war on Red Square, and mark the important anniversary of historic victory of the Soviet people over Nazism.

Today, as always, we have a busy agenda that addresses specific concerns of the peoples of our countries. They focus on improving the functioning of our respective economies and strengthening the security of Belarus and Russia. Let me wish us all productive work.

Thank you for your attention. I turn the floor over to President of Russia Vladimir Putin.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Lukashenko, colleagues,

As mentioned by the President of Belarus, today’s meeting of the Supreme State Council is special in that it has been timed to coincide with the 25^th anniversary of the Treaty on the Creation of the Union State, signed on December 9, 1999. Let me remind you – all of us know this well – that this is an achievement of the first President of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin, and Alexander Lukashenko.

This is a truly fundamental document that has guided Russia and Belarus over the past quarter of a century, during which they jointly accomplished a truly vast amount of work. I am referring primarily to their efforts to promote integration in the socioeconomic and humanitarian spheres, to harmonise the two countries’ laws, and to reliably ensure common defence and security.

Most importantly, the Russian-Belarusian relations of alliance and strategic partnership are based on the unshakeable principles of friendship and neighbourliness, mutual respect and regard for each other’s interests. Our countries and peoples are bound by a common history, family ties between many Russians and Belarusians, and a commitment to the same moral and spiritual values.

Trade and investment exchanges are actively developing within the framework of the Union State, multifaceted business contacts and cooperation ties are growing stronger, and conditions are being created for stable and sustainable growth of our countries’ economies. In a word, practical integration is bringing real tangible benefits to the citizens of our countries, enhancing the quality of their lives and well-being.

Taken together, this is clear proof of the correctness of our strategic policy of comprehensive cooperation and a common economic, humanitarian and defence space of Russia and the Republic of Belarus.

We appreciate the smooth operation of the practical cooperation mechanisms in the Union State. The Council of Ministers meets regularly, and the two countries agencies are conducting a coordinated macroeconomic policy with assistance from the Permanent Committee of the Union State, promoting interaction between industries and coordinating the functioning of our financial markets and banking systems. At the same time, we are paying special attention to minimising damage from the illegal Western sanctions and other restrictions.

The supranational Customs Committee and Interstate Customs Centre are working effectively. We discussed these issues for a long time; it was not simple to coordinate each other’s positions in detail, but ultimately the Russian party and our friends in Belarus have found mutually acceptable solutions and options. I am confident that our colleagues on both sides are satisfied with the operation of these mechanisms. They are clearly useful instruments in the current situation and are creating conditions for the sustainable growth of our economies and our progress.

Overall, the Supreme State Council’s decision on the Guidelines for Implementing the Provisions of the Treaty Establishing the Union State for 2024–2026 is being successfully implemented. It involves large-scale joint projects and events in key spheres, namely, industry, agriculture, energy, transport, culture and information policy. We also focus on science and education. To date, about 20 percent of the planned measures have been implemented.

The effectiveness of Russian-Belarusian integration can be judged by the growth of our trade. Alexander Lukashenko has already mentioned the figures we expect to report this year. It is a tentative result, but I believe that it is quite accurate. According to our statistics, mutual trade in January to September has increased by 8.4 percent and exceeded $37 billion, and the yearend results will be close to reaching the figures the President of Belarus has mentioned.

Russia accounts for over half of foreign trade of Belarus. At the same time, Belarus is the fourth largest trade partner of Russia; its share stands at nearly 9 percent.

Russia has invested over $4 billion in the Belarusian economy. There are about 2,500 companies with Russian capital operating in the republic. Our energy cooperation is growing stronger, and we continue to create joint oil and gas markets. We have coordinated and are ready to sign a treaty on the single electricity market today, as Alexander Lukashenko has stated. This will help reduce prices for end users in both Russia and Belarus. I believe that this is extremely important for our households and industrial facilities.

Built by Rosatom, the nuclear power plant in Belarus operates in keeping with its planned capacity and design specifications. Its overall output from the two units has exceeded 36 billion kilowatt-hours, including over 14 billion this year, up 20 percent compared to the NPP’s annual output in 2023. This is robust performance.

Bilateral cooperation in manufacturing has been growing in scale with a focus on import substitution and increasing the share of high value-added products, which is crucial today, and is set to play an even bigger role in the future. I hope they keep all their restrictions in place – this is what I have been hearing from some of my colleagues in the Russian Government all the time.

Of course, these restrictions have created some challenges for us. However, at the end of the day, Russian producers within the real economy have been benefiting from some breathing space in the domestic market, just as it happened with agricultural production some time ago. Overall, the positive implications outweigh the challenges we face in this regard.

We have also fine-tuned our cooperation and partnership in science-driven sectors, digital transformation and microelectronics, as well as in terms of digitalisation. Today, we will adopt a new resolution introducing streamlined tariffs for communication and data transmission services within the Union State. The new rules are expected to come into force on March 1, 2025.

Humanitarian cooperation has been gaining traction within the Union State too, with efforts to promote proactive exchanges in education, culture, sports and youth affairs. At a radiology centre in Dimitrovgrad, Union State residents can benefit from treatments based on proton therapy.

Higher education institutions specialising in engineering and technology have been holding various forums. Training specialists in these disciplines has special importance today for both Russia and Belarus. The Union State awards in science and technology, literature and art have gained a lot of prestige. We established a special award for young researchers for their achievements in the natural sciences, technology and social sciences.

We also suggest establishing an award for research in history, cultural and educational projects aimed at promoting patriotic education among young people.

Members of the Supreme Council,

Faced with unprecedented external pressure, Russia and Belarus have joined ranks on the international stage and have been unwavering in their commitment to supporting each other as true allies. We share coinciding or convergent approaches, as diplomats say, to the most urgent global and regional matters.

As you know, the October BRICS Summit in Kazan adopted a decision instituting a new category for BRICS partner states. We are delighted that our Belarusian friends have been responsive and confirmed their readiness to work with BRICS within this framework.

Russia and Belarus have been stepping up their cooperation in defence and security, as the President of Belarus has already said, as well as in military technology. Of course, this meets the fundamental interests of our two countries and their people.

A seamless air defence system is deployed across the defence space of the Union State, operated by a joint regional grouping of troops. Daily contacts are maintained between our law enforcement agencies. The military doctrine of the Union State has recently been updated. The updated security concept, submitted for the Supreme State Council’s approval, includes assessments of the current international situation, which is far from simple, and potential joint measures to counter the main challenges and threats.

The situation in the European region, in particular, in Ukraine, is definitely a cause of particular concern. The Western countries are deliberately exacerbating tensions in the region. In fact, their actions have led to today’s tragedy and continue to aggravate the crisis. Such irresponsible policies are pushing the world to the brink of a global conflict. We know that Belarus, the President of Belarus, supports a policy aimed at a peaceful settlement of this crisis. We are continuously discussing the matter, and we will definitely focus on some of its aspects during the exchange of views later today.

In this context, it makes perfect sense for us to sign an interstate treaty on security guarantees within the Union State today. The document defines our mutual allied obligations to use all available forces and capabilities to ensure both countries’ defences, and protect their sovereignty, independence and constitutional order, as well as the integrity and inviolability of the territory and external border of the Union State. This includes Russian tactical nuclear weapons, previously deployed on the territory of the Republic of Belarus at the suggestion of the President of Belarus.

Let me remind you that the November 19 Executive Order Approving the Basic Principles of State Policy of the Russian Federation on Nuclear Deterrence clearly indicates the possibility of using those weapons for defensive purposes in response to a possible attack with the use of weapons of mass destruction, or to repel aggression with the use of conventional weapons, which poses a critical threat to Russia’s sovereignty or territorial integrity. We continuously coordinate these issues with the leadership of Belarus, with the President of Belarus. I am convinced that this treaty will ensure that the security of Russia and Belarus are reliably protected and will thereby create conditions for further peaceful and sustainable development of both our nations.

As we said, next year, we will celebrate the 80^th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War. It is important that both Russia and Belarus remember and revere the heroism of our fathers and grandfathers who fought shoulder to shoulder against Nazism. And we will certainly continue to make effort to ensure that future generations have a conception of the price they have paid to defend peace and freedom.

We are expecting Alexander Lukashenko to attend the anniversary celebrations in Moscow on May 9. Military crews from Belarus are also invited to take part in the parade on Red Square alongside the Russian military. In addition, I certainly hope to see Mr Lukashenko in St Petersburg on December 25–26 at the traditional informal meeting of CIS leaders and at the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council session.

In conclusion, I would like to express confidence that today’s meeting of the Supreme State Council will be productive, will promote the further dynamic development and integration of Russia and Belarus, and consolidate the security and defence potential of the Union State.

I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the preparation of today’s event and the preparation of the documents. It was an ambitious and very necessary work.

Thank you very much for your attention.