Opinions & Interviews

Lavrov surprised by mass media uproar about Belarus-Russia Union State Treaty

Sergei Lavrov. A screenshot from a TASS video

MOSCOW, 16 January (BelTA) – During a press conference for Russian and foreign reporters Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov stated he was surprised by the uproar raised by mass media recently regarding the Belarus-Russia Union State Foundation Treaty, BelTA has learned.

Sergei Lavrov said: “As for the Union State, I am simply surprised by the inflated uproar about this topic, including in mass media. The treaty on founding the Union State is a publicly available document. One could get familiar with it back when it was signed and one can refresh memory about it now.”

The Russian minister of foreign affairs noted that 20 years ago the treaty incorporated a lot of what had brought Belarus and Russia together and had prompted the creation of the Union State of Belarus and Russia. “The document provided for adopting the Constitutional Act, creating a union parliament and a court of the Union State,” Sergei Lavrov reminded. “These are the terms Moscow and Minsk voluntarily agreed on back then. With the passage of time we certainly started to understand that for now it is unlikely we will be able to implement either a common constitution, or a common parliament, or a common court. But we don’t insist on it at all. During the latest contacts of our presidents we talked to our Belarusian colleagues about the provisions of the union treaty, which deal with extremely concrete practical things in the sphere of economy and trade unlike the common constitution, the common parliament, and the common court.”

According to Sergei Lavrov, there were no particular disagreements with Belarusian partners regarding the need to look into how the sides could implement purely practical concrete things in the sphere of economy and finance. “A working group headed by the economy ministers was created upon instructions of the presidents of Russia and Belarus. The group is authorized to look into the exact matters I’ve just mentioned,” said the Russian minister of foreign affairs.

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