Russia and Belarus to adopt joint military doctrine
On November 4, Russian President Vladimir Putin 4 will take part in a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State, which will be held in the format of a video conference, the press service of the Kremlin reported.
During the meeting, it is planned to approve a "package of important integration documents". These are the "Main directions for the implementation of the provisions of the treaty on the creation of the Union State for 2021-2023", which include 28 sectoral programs, as well as an updated military doctrine and concept of the migration policy of the Union State, the Kremlin said.
In addition, the meeting participants will review the results of trade and economic cooperation between Russia and Belarus for 2020 and the first six months of this year and the implementation of previously adopted decisions.
"It is also planned to issue a decision on awarding the Union State Prize in the field of science and technology to Russian and Belarusian scientists and specialists," the Kremlin press service added.
In addition to Putin and the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, the meeting will be attended by Prime Ministers of both countries Mikhail Mishustin and Roman Golovchenko, as well as parliaments’ speakers Valentina Matvienko, Vyacheslav Volodin, Natalia Kochanova and Vladimir Andreichenko.
On September 9, Putin and Lukashenko adopted a final plan for the further integration of the two countries. Later, 28 union integration programs were published. They are aimed at the "merging" and "harmonization" in macroeconomic, monetary and industrial policy, tax legislation, as well as the formation of single markets for oil, gas and electricity.
Russia and Belarus are going to create a new body - the Union State Committee on Tax Issues, which will be advisory in nature. It is also planned that equal tariffs for airport and air navigation services will be established for Russian and Belarusian aircraft. Cellular roaming between the countries will be canceled, and an agreement on common rules in the field of consumer protection will be concluded by the end of the year.
Integration in these areas was envisaged in accordance with the Union State Treaty, which was signed in 1999. So far, only a single customs space and a free trade zone have been implemented.
Putin also admitted that, as part of the integration, it will be possible to discuss a joint parliament. But first of all, "we need to deal with the economy, and then everything will naturally require additional regulation," Putin said. "For this [discussion of the creation of the Union Parliament] it is necessary, as they say, to grow up. We did not discuss this, and such issues were not on the agenda," Putin said.