The Union State and Actual Problems of Russian- Byelorussian Integration

Abstract

December 8, 2019 will be the 20-eth anniversary of signing of the Treaty of creation of the Union state by the presidents of Russia and Byelorussia. The phenomenon of the Union state (US) and the road passed by it are sufficiently contradictory. On the one hand, the US is undoubtedly the most advanced integration alignment on the post-Soviet area and a pattern for other associations. For the period of forming of the US considerable progress in all spheres of cooperation has been achieved. The mutual trade volume grew from $9,3 bln in 2000 to $35,6 bln in 2018. Investment cooperation and industrial cooperation are developing, joint programs are being realized. The documents aimed at securing of equal rights of the two countries’ citizens have been signed and are being realized; military and political as well as cooperation at the regional level is developing. On the other hand, many aims of the US have not been attained, its construction has actually been frozen. The integration process evidently slips, many conceptual issues of the union construction stay unsettled. Serious contradictions between the parties on a number of important economic and political issues remain; periodically serious conflicts (“oil”, “gas”, “milk” etc.) accompanied by “information wars” and questioning the prospects of the Russian-Byelorussian integration arise. Recently Russia raises a question of the necessity to accelerate integration in the framework of the US binding it with maintenance of preferences for Byelorussia in mutual economic relations. The action program of the two countries aimed at activization of integration cooperation in the US is being prepared. However, between the parties serious differences stipulated, first of all, by unwillingness of Byelorussia to waive its sovereignty still remain. Just in the near time it will be clear whether the parties will manage to overcome these differences and start a new stage in the development of integration.