Opinions & Interviews

Matviyenko: Union State makes Russia, Belarus stronger

Valentina Matviyenko. Photo from council.gov.ru

MINSK, 1 July  (BelTA) – Thanks to the Union State Russia and Belarus have become twice as strong, Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia Valentina Matviyenko said on the air of the Belarus 1 TV channel on 30 June, BelTA has learned.

Speaking about the 25-year path of the Union State, the speaker of the Federation Council noted: "It was a difficult path. There were different approaches, different visions. Thanks to the will of the leaders of our states Aleksandr Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin, we have found the formula for our strategic partnership in the form of the Union State, which has no analogue in the world. This is a union of two sovereign states. This is a union of two fraternal peoples."

"Why did our leaders make such a decision? Ultimately, our goal is to combine the capabilities and potentials of our states so that our economies grow more competitive and develop effectively. The main goal is to improve the well-being and makes the lives of our citizens better," Valentina Matviyenko emphasized.

She recalled that 28 Union State programs are currently in progress. This makes it possible to build a common economy while maintaining sovereignty. "Our citizens have received serious social rights, freedoms, and guarantees. We have free movement of citizens of Russia and Belarus, opportunities to study, opportunities to find a job.If this had not happened, then, I think, it would have been very difficult for us, taking into account the new realities, new threats and new challenges, the desire of unfriendly countries to restrain the development of Russia and Belarus. Thanks to the fact that we have created the Union State, today we stand together, shoulder to shoulder, successfully confronting the new challenges," Valentina Matviyenko noted.

As Valentina Matviyenko stated, mutual trade is growing, and more than 90% of settlements are made in national currencies. "Our economies are growing. By combining our efforts, we, both Russia and Belarus, have become twice as strong," she concluded.

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