Putin and Lukashenko advance their integration plan and start joint military exercises

Russian presidents Vladimir Putin and Belarusian presidents Alexander Lukashenko took the first step on Thursday towards the integration of their countries, by approving the creation of a common economic space, while Westerners fear that the Kremlin will end up absorbing its neighboring country.

“We must first create a base, an economic base to continue to move forward (in integration), including at the political level. I am convinced that we are on the right track, ”Putin said. during a joint press conference with his Belarusian counterpart.

Putin did not rule out the creation in the future of supranational organizations, This point was included in the documents for the creation of the State Union signed in December 1999 by Lukashenko and the first Russian president, Boris Yeltsin.

The deal comes amid Belarus’ international isolation, considered the last dictatorship in Europe, due to the crackdown since August 2020 of the largest anti-government protests since the fall of the USSR and the forced hijacking in May of a Ryanair plane to arrest an opposition journalist.

COMMON DEFENSE AREA

In addition to agreeing on the integration of the anti-terrorism policy, Putin admitted to having discussed with his colleague the formation of “a common defense space” in order to guarantee the security of the Union of States ” within its outer perimeter “.

In this context, announced that its strategic “Zapad-2021” (West) maneuvers began today, involving nearly 200,000 soldiers, exercises presented as defensive but which cause concern in the West because of their proximity to the borders of NATO.

“These exercises are not directed against anyone. But its realization is logical at a time when other associations, NATO for example, are actively increasing their presence near the borders of the State Union ”he insisted.

“Fifteen ships and support ships of the Baltic Fleet have left their bases and are heading to the planned areas of the Baltic Sea to carry out the practical tasks of the joint strategic exercises” Zapad-2021 “,” a spokesperson said. of the Ministry of Defense. from Russia, quoted by the official RIA-Nóvosti agency.

He explained that the naval group will train in air and anti-submarine defense, and practice marksmanship with artillery and missiles against air and surface targets.

The exercises “Zapad-2021”, which will run until the next day 16, are carried out in 14 polygons, nine in the territory of Russia and five in Belarus, as well as in the waters of the Baltic.

ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

After three years of arduous negotiations, Moscow and Minsk today agreed on 28 programs for the creation in the near future of a “common economic space” which will include a single gas market from December 2023.

These integration programs include the creation of single markets in the financial and energy fields, a common space for transport and common policies in the industrial and agricultural sectors.

Besides, The two countries have agreed to integrate their monetary and credit systems and harmonize their customs, tax, labor and pension laws.

The head of the Kremlin also argued that within the framework of the State Union They also aim to create a single market for petroleum, petroleum products and electricity.

“Ultimately, this (integration) from now on, it will give a big boost, a stimulus to the growth of the economy of both countries “, he said.

And predicted that the agreement will create jobs, benefit industries in both countries and it will increase its export capacity amid the sanctions the West has imposed on both countries.

NO SINGLE CURRENCY

Putin considered it premature to talk about a single currency and called for focusing first on the harmonization of macroeconomic policies of Russia and Belarus, while Lukashenko explained that both central banks have advocated postponing this issue for the time being.

“They said that our countries are not prepared (…), but that does not mean that we will not take up this issue,” he added.

Putin clarified that the prime ministers of the two countries will approve the agreement on Friday in Minsk, after which it will be adopted before the end of the year by the Supreme Council of the State Union.

In concession to Belarus, a country which depends for its survival on the subsidized prices of Russian hydrocarbons, Putin has promised gas tariffs in 2022 will stay at this year’s level and also announced the removal of all restrictions on flights between the two countries in the midst of the pandemic.

“There is nothing wrong with the people of Belarus and Russia in these programs. Our integration is exclusively mutually beneficial, ”Lukashenko assured.

He claimed that they will not make the mistakes that led to the disintegration of the Soviet Union nor internal struggles within the European Union (EU), which he says suffers from dissolution problems.

“We are like a bulldozer moving forward paving the way for future unions, hopefully, in the post-Soviet space,” he stressed, referring to countries like Armenia and Russia. Central Asian Kazakhstan.

FEAR OF ABSORPTION

Regarding criticism from the Belarusian opposition and the West that the State Union will lead to the loss of Belarusian sovereignty, Putin assured that possible political integration was not addressed.

“I insist, we must above all focus on the economy,” he said. And he added that in the future the state union could demand an “additional arrangement” in the form of a “parliament”.

“I do not exclude that it can be created. But there is still time to do it, ”he said.

Lukashenko, in power since 1994, denied rumors of a possible “takeover”, but he went further than his interlocutor in assuring that if the Russian and Belarusian peoples ask for it, political integration will take place naturally.

“We are smart enough people and if we need to have an even closer relationship than in a unitary stateObviously we will, ”he said.

(With information from EFE)

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