Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 12 September (BelTA) – The establishment of the Union State of Belarus and Russia spurred integration processes in the CIS space. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko made the statement in an interview with the news agency TASS, the press service of the Belarusian leader told BelTA.

“The Union State was a prototype of the Eurasian Economic Union. We borrowed all these examples from the Union State,” said the head of state.

The President remarked that the Eurasian Economic Union has not yet reached the level of integration that Belarus and Russia enjoy as part of the Union State. “We sent a wave across the CIS. Those, who are still part it, started attaching great importance to it,” noted the Belarusian leader.

“Although not everyone in Russia was ready for it back then. If Yeltsin had not decided to go full speed ahead with the project, we would not have signed the agreement,” said Alexander Lukashenko. “We have done a great deal since then. We have spurred integration processes in many aspects, too. This is why it was a historical event.”

“As far as complaints are concerned, you are right, nations are right when they complain that we sometimes make no progress while we can make decisions. But this is not up to me to explain,” added the President.