The integration is deeper than between EU countries. Prime Ministers of both countries have initialed the program of economic integration and did not inform the residents either about the signing or the content of the document. And it was only 10 days later that the Belarusians learned about it from the Russian media “Kommersant”.
Secret negotiations on the integration of our country with Russia have been going on for more than eight months, but the results have been unknown to the general public until recently. The Russian media “Kommersant”, citing its sources in the Russian government, has unveiled the content of the project signed by Prime Minister Syarhei Rumas and his Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedev.
The program is designed for a year and a half. The exact points indicate that Belarus and Russia will adopt a single Tax Code of the Union State by April 1, 2021, and probably the single Civil Code the same year. Belarus and Russia will also have a common customs policy, common customs raids, common information system and, perhaps, even a common customs.
The article by Kommersant does not mention the introduction of a single currency and a common budget. However, there is an agreement on common banking supervision, a single payment system, foreign exchange control and so-called joint counter-sanctions against other countries. For example, a ban on imports of Western goods.
In addition, by 2021, there will be in place common access to public procurement and a common property accounting system. Deep energy integration is also expected. In Belarus and Russia, there will be common regulations on the fuel and energy sector, industrial policy, agricultural markets, trade, transport, communications, and antimonopoly policy. There is an agreement on a coordinated policy in the labor market and in the field of social protection since 2022, but without any specifics. As for the specifics, the roaming will be abolished from June 1, 2020.
The action program does not concern such spheres as defense, state security, court, Ministry of Internal Affairs, education, health care. The article also does not mention the executive bodies of the so-called union state. But the parties agreed to discuss other provisions in the future.
At the same time, the newspaper writes about the actual creation of the confederation of Belarus and Russia by 2022. After all, economic integration will be stronger than that between the EU countries.
The newspaper notes that the economy of Belarus is 29 times smaller than that of Russia, so we’re talking about the actual economic takeover of our country.
Vitaut Siuchyk/IR belsat.eu
