Putin, Lukashenka set to further develop Union State. On paper


The same statements, the same threadbare formulations. Over the past 10 years, there has been nothing that would be worth making a separate story of in the so-called Supreme Council of the Union State.

Yesterday Vladimir Putin made his first official visit to Belarus as the re-elected president of Russia. his taking part in the meeting of the Supreme Council of the Union State was scheduled; the event was attended by Russia’s top officials as well.

“Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, in spite of the difficult times, service is service. In accordance with our agreement before the [presidential] election [in Russia] we are holding the session of the Supreme State Council of the Union State today. We are prepared for the summit. The agenda has been developed, all issues have been harmonized. Plans have been made to discuss three major issues. All other issues are always ready, we are going to pass some things without discussions,” Alyaksandr Lukashenka said on Tuesday.

Surprisingly, unlike previous meetings, the sides managed to solve main issues in bilateral relations before the meeting. The recent agreement on the supply of energy commodities put the matter to rest until 2020. Last week, the problem of exporting Belarusian milk to Russia was halted down. Thus, only a few items remained, i.e. common foreign policy and prospects for the development of the union.

“Everyone realizes that there is no Union State and no steps to establish it. Every time Russia proposes to do something in this direction, it immediately receives a rebuff from Belarus. Accordingly, it [Union State] is first and foremost an ideological body,” Vital Tsyhankou, a political commentator of Radio Free Europe/Liberty, said.

However, this ‘body’costs a bundle. Its budget amountrs to $112 mln, 28 mln of which come from Belarusian taxpayers. To put that in context, it is four times more than Belarus spends on the housing and utilities infrastructure. And if the maintenance of this sector does provide benefits, the effects of the costs of the Union State are unevident.

“We should create a single economic space, and we seem to have already done it on paper. But the impression is that since the beginning of the 2000s we keep establishing it, and every time – it in a fresh new way,” economist Leanid Zlotnikau said.

20 years ago, leaders of the two countries signed the declaration that equated the rights of citizens of Russia and Belarus, as well as a level playing field for businesses. Since then, nothing that would significantly impact on the welfare of the peoples or their identity as citizens of the Union State happened. Even a $13mln which the Union State annually spend on their own media do not help much: many Belarusians and Russians are not aware of its work or even of the Union itself. It was proved by the results of our recent man-on-the-street interview in Russia’s Tolyatti. Every year, tens of millions of dollars go to the maintenance of various joint programs, but the Russians interviewed by Belsat have not heard of any of them.

“Both sides cannot accept that their national interests are completely opposite. And they keep putting a brave face on a sorry business and say that the Union State remains, but do nothing to make it function,” Tsyhankou stressed.

For 22 years of its existence, the Union State has turned into a political ritual: once a year, the two leaders meet and promise to develop something that seems to be of no interest to the both.

belsat.eu

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