politics
April 3, 2026
FACTBOX: Day of Unity of the Peoples
On April 2, 1996, Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed in Moscow a treaty establishing the Community of Russia and Belarus, which envisaged the creation of a politically and economically integrated association
TL;DR
- The Union State of Russia and Belarus was established by treaties signed in 1996 and 1999, aiming for political and economic integration.
- Goals include a single economic space, coordinated foreign and social policies, and the eventual adoption of a constitution.
- Over 300 treaties govern cooperation, with 28 integration programs focusing on economic, industrial, and social harmonization.
- Recent agreements target unified macroeconomic and monetary policies, common markets, and harmonized legislation.
- The Union State has adopted a military doctrine, migration concept, and security concept, with nuclear weapons viewed as a deterrent.
- Bilateral trade reached approximately $52 billion in 2025.
- The 2026 budget is projected at 8.07 billion rubles in revenue, funded by contributions from Russia and Belarus.
Continue reading the original article